A day at the Mojave Test Area: launch/static-fire-test information
Legal issues
The Mojave Test Area is owned and operated by the
Reaction Research Society (RRS). It is where most CALVEIN tests are conducted.
It is important to note, however, that people attending the static-fire-tests
and/or rocket launches do it independently of their possible affiliation with
the university. People attending such RRS event must be permanent RRS members.
As such, the RRS rules and regulations govern all tests taking place at the MTA.
Directions
RRS events in which CALVEIN participates are, in general, open to the public.
People interested in attending an event should contact Dr. Eric Besnard,
besnarde@csulb.edu, for directions to the MTA.
These will be sent by email only. Make sure to state your connection to
CALVEIN or how you heard from the event when requesting directions.
For non-CALVEIN-related events, please contact the RRS directly.
Also note that the last few miles are on a dirt road. Although this
road is, in general, accessible to any regular road vehicle,
its conditions might change, especially in the winter.
It takes about 3 hours to reach the MTA from the Long Beach area.
Weather, Food, Etc.
An event at the MTA usually lasts the entire day (and sometimes night).
Each participant should check on the weather
(search for Mojave, CA - hot in the summer, cold and possibly windy in
the winter) and bring his/her own food and drinks. The closest gas
station/store is several miles away from the site. Also,
only portable bathrooms are available at the MTA.
A Day at the MTA
The CALVEIN team usually starts arriving at the MTA around 8 am to setup the
test stand/launch platform. Typically, there are many tasks to complete before
being ready for the test/launch. These activities may take from an hour to
the entire day. Because of the nature of the program
(development of prototype vehicles), the test/launch will occur as soon
as the team is ready and the environmental conditions permit it.
Therefore, the test/launch window is typically 10 am - 5 pm, although
there is no guarantee that it will take place during this period.
CALVEIN team members reserve the right to decide, at their discretion and
with RRS agreement, when to perform the test or launch, other conditions
permitting. People interested in attending a test/launch should plan
on being at the MTA at 9 am at the latest (the road leading to the MTA gets
blocked once tests start). They should also expect to spend several hours
waiting and, in the end, are not guaranteed of witnessing the test or launch.
Updates before test/launch
People interested in getting email updates about upcoming tests/launch
(typically, the latest update is sent the night before the test or early in
the morning) are encouraged to join the Prospector Rockets Yahoo! Group by
sending an email to prospector_rockets-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or
besnarde@csulb.edu.
Contact information
For more information, contact Eric Besnard, besnarde@csulb.edu.
Back to News & Events 2004
