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  #1  
Old 07-01-2024, 01:00 PM
Initiator001 Initiator001 is offline
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Default AeroTech HQ Dedication and Grand Opening

Folks,

I have a thread going on 'That Other Forum' concerning the Grand Opening of the New AeroTech Headquarters.

Many pictures and stories:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...opening.187103/

Enjoy!
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  #2  
Old 07-01-2024, 10:23 PM
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Bob-

Hate to ask you to do double work, but for those who are not members of the other forum (and you have to sign in to see photos there), is there any chance you can post some of the most interesting of your photos here? Maybe just a handful, say 6-7?

Thanks,

Earl
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  #3  
Old 07-02-2024, 08:19 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl
Hate to ask you to do double work, but for those who are not members of the other forum (and you have to sign in to see photos there), is there any chance you can post some of the most interesting of your photos here? Maybe just a handful, say 6-7?

That thread over there was pretty typical for TRF. You guys can find some stuff on Aerotech's FB page. https://www.facebook.com/flyaerotech
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Old 07-02-2024, 10:19 AM
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Some of us don't do Facebook either.
If it's on FB or TRF but not here I won't see it.
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Old 07-03-2024, 06:15 AM
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Nice looking place! Very classy!
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Old 07-09-2024, 02:11 PM
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Default Aerotech Grand Opening

A reporter from Arizona wrote a good article which some may enjoy reading:
Solid-Fuel Hobby Rocket Company Hopes to Soar From New Utah Facility: https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/so...tm_source=email
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Old 07-10-2024, 12:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocketaholic
A reporter from Arizona wrote a good article which some may enjoy reading:
Solid-Fuel Hobby Rocket Company Hopes to Soar From New Utah Facility: https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/so...tm_source=email


John,

It was good to see you at the AeroTech Grand Opening.

Thanks for posting the link to the article. I really like the picture at the start of the article.
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Old 07-15-2024, 11:41 PM
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Default It was great being there at the event.

It was great time be there and attend the event. 🚀😎🪂👍
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Old 07-27-2024, 08:24 AM
PaulK PaulK is offline
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Here's the Epoch Times Article, extracted from this link, minus images (with punctuation painstakingly corrected from the question mark bug where possible):

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/so...tm_source=email
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solid-Fuel Hobby Rocket Company Hopes to Soar From New Utah Facility

RCS Rocket Motor Components has also launched a museum honoring the history of model rocketry.

Bob Sanford, designer of the AeroTech "Initiator" model rocket, displays an actual version during the grand opening of RCS Rocket Motor Components' new world headquarters and museum to hobby rocketry in Cedar City, Utah, on June 27, 2024. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

CEDAR CITY, Utah The small hobby rocket kits that many kids built at home and launched into the sky have come a long way since the early days of model rocketry.

On June 27, RCS Rocket Motor Components (RCS), the world?s largest producer of solid composite propellant hobby rocket motors, celebrated the opening of its new world headquarters, museum, and store in Cedar City, Utah, with plans to carry the consumer and aerospace industry even higher with technology innovation.

"As we dedicate this facility today, we are not just opening the doors to a new building. We are opening the doors to new opportunities, innovations, and new possibilities", said Gary Rosenfield, president and founder of RCS in 1982.

Our Museum of Composite Propellant Hobby Rocketry does not simply pay homage to those who have gone before us. It is a living history that will educate and inspire the next generations of rocketry enthusiasts."

The new 18,000-square-foot building will house 39 employees for the company's consumer hobby divisions: AeroTech and Quest.

RCS is a global pioneer in the development of advanced Reloadable and Disposable Motor Systems for model rocketry. The company also produces industrial-grade solid propulsion systems for the aerospace industry and military applications, such as the U.S. Army's Patriot missiles and drone killer missiles.

Other RCS projects include the Super Loki and Viper IIIA sounding rocket motors and the Viper-V motor for the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) program.

RCS also produced the fin motors of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus, the igniter motors of the Virgin Galactic Spaceship II, and NASA's 37 spin motor.

As RCS's founder, Mr. Rosenfield drew inspiration from designing and flying model rockets in his youth, a passion that continues to this day.

"When a young rocketeer or student launches one of our composite propellant model rocket motors, they are using the same family of aerospace grade solid composite propellant as NASA's space shuttle boosters, military missiles, sounding rockets, and NASA's new SLS moon rocket boosters," said Dane Boles, RCS executive vice president and general manager.

RCS Vice President and CFO Candy Klaybourne said the company's new headquarters "is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of our incredible team."

"This extended facility is not just a symbol of our growth but a promise to our commitment to innovation, excellence, and the well-being of our employees and our community. Together, we will achieve great things," she said.

"This allows us to be innovative whether it's a hobby, whether it's something for science, whether it's international events," said RCS operations manager Robert Behunin.

According to Verified Market Reports, the value of the model rocket industry size was $100 billion in 2023. Analysts project the market will reach $648 billion by 2030 at 30 percent growth each year.

Inside the new RCS facility, a working full-size replica of the Patriot missile stands next to an American flag as an emblem of the company's innovation.

Gary Rosenfield, RCS Rocket Motor Components founder and president (C), unveils the company's new world headquarters and hobby rocketry museum in Cedar City, Utah, on June 27, 2024. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

"And it flies. And it flies on our motors," Mr. Boles said.

Dan Michael, AeroTech's East Coast service and promotional representative, built the rocket based on earlier working scale models

"That rocket is a full-scale Patriot. It weighs 600 pounds at the [launch] pad," Mr. Michael told a gathering at the June 27 dedication. "As it sits here, it's about 370 pounds."

"It's a big, heavy rocket."

Model Rocket Kit

Bob Sanford is the designer of AeroTech?s flagship introductory model rocket kit called the "Initiator."

A three-story counterpart of the model rocket stands outside the new facility to greet the public.

"Where did we get the name? It's quite interesting," Mr. Sanford said as he shared the rocket's story of development.

"It all goes back to November of 1979" when he worked at another hobby rocket company in Phoenix, Arizona. The idea came to him one night as he was at home fixing dinner.

Visitors examine model hobby rockets at The Museum of Composite Propellant Hobby Rocketry and Museum Store in Cedar City, Utah, on June 27, 2024. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

"I turned on the TV set, looking for something to watch. I came across a movie that just started. That movie was 'Animal House'."

"I started watching and thinking, Wait a second. Fraternities have initiations. We should call our rocket the 'Initiator.'"

The company's management team liked the name, and said, "Initiator it is," Mr. Sanford said.

"To be honest, if it weren't for [Animal House character] John Belushi, that rocket would have a different name," he said.

During the grand opening ceremony, Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox shared a video message praising the company?s facility expansion.

"The RCS story is a compelling one?one we are familiar with in rural Utah," Mr. Cox said.

"RCS rocket systems are sought after for strategic, tactical, and research single-purpose capabilities by the U.S. military and space exploration," he said. Working with education STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in particular, RCS has inspired thousands of young people, and adults, to pursue their dreams in science and technology, education, math, and manufacturing."

Lee Piester, founder of Centuri Engineering, a world-renowned maker of solid propellant model rocket kits from 1961 to 1989, reflected on the early days of composite propellant model and hobby rocketry.

He said the new museum at RCS will help to preserve the beloved history of the hobby rocket industry.

"We need a caretaker for many of the developments we've all grown up with," said Mr. Piester, recalling the 1950s space race between the U.S. and Soviet Union to develop the first orbital satellite.

The new world headquarters for RCS Rocket Motor Components also houses The Museum of Composite Propellant Hobby Rocketry and Museum Store in Cedar City, Utah. Photo taken on June 27, 2024. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

"We were inspired by it. We, as young kids, wanted to emulate the scientists. We all wanted to be rocket engineers. For a long time, we didn?t have the materials."

Jim Gardner said he traveled from St. George, Utah, to Cedar City to witness the historic unveiling of the new RCS facility.

But more than that, he wanted to see the museum displays of the model rockets he knew and experimented with in his youth.

"I remember my teacher wanting me to bring one" to show the class, Mr. Gardner told The Epoch Times. "I used to build Estes [brand] rockets' just the smaller ones. I can't even remember their names."

"I'm still interested in rockets. Just recently, my grandkids and I made sugar-propelled rockets together. It's amazing what progress [RCS] has made and brought to the industry. It's the same excitement I had when I was a kid."
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Last edited by PaulK : 07-27-2024 at 08:46 AM.
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  #10  
Old 07-27-2024, 09:34 PM
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Thanks for posting the article. Gives a fuller picture of who all spoke at the grand opening.

I was struck by one line in the article though, quote:

?According to Verified Market Reports, the value of the model rocket industry size was $100 billion in 2023. Analysts project the market will reach $648 billion by 2030 at 30 percent growth each year.?

Hmmmmmm.

I would have not thought the model rocketry industry to be $100 MILLION per year, much less $100 BILLION! Surely that has to be a typo in the original article, no?? Actually, I can?t fathom the model rocket industry being more than $40-$50 million per year.

Earl
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