Rocket, Solid Fuel, Amateur

Typical amateur rocket of the early Space Age before commercial, safe model kits were widely available. This specimen, that carried a small still camera and some specially printed envelopes for collectors, was attempted to be flown by the donor, Richard Koszarski, from Fort Pickett, Virginia, in 1965 in a U.S. Army sponsored and supervised amateur rocket shoot.

The Army was trying to encourage youngsters to learn as much science as they could in these activities and to promote safety through classroom instruction and adult-supervised experimentation. However, the rocket, named "Titanic," was designed to fly up to 5,000 feet but "fizzled" on the launch pad due to an igniter problem. This object was donated to the Smithsonian in 1979 by Richard Kozarski.