U.S. May Require Fingerprinting and Study of Rocket Hobbyists

The NY Times ^ | March 9, 2003 | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Pharmboy]

WASHINGTON, March 8 (AP) — Hobbyists who build and launch high-powered model rockets could soon be subject to background checks, fingerprinting and storage inspections.

Under new provisions set to go into effect May 24 under the Homeland Security Act, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would place further restrictions on the fuel that powers the rockets.

Sport rocketry attracts thousands of hobbyists across the country. The rockets can stand taller than an adult, soar miles into the sky and are designed to land intact nearby.

The new rules will require buyers of the rocket fuel ammonium perchlorate composite propellant to submit their fingerprints and photographs to the bureau. The government will check applicants' backgrounds to see if they are among those banned from possessing explosives, felons, for example.

Under the proposed rules, the government will also inspect the areas where permit holders store explosives at least once every three years.

"You can't even estimate the devastating effect this is going to have on the hobby," said Bruce Kelly, the publisher of the magazine High Power Rocketry, said of the rule changes.

Hobbyists have won the support of Senator Michael B. Enzi, Republican of Wyoming, who is drafting legislation to free rocketeers from the rules. His spokesman dismissed government claims that the regulations would better track explosives while not being "overly burdensome."

Meanwhile hobbyists are mounting a public relations assault on the new regulations. The Web site of the Amateur Rocketry Society of America, posts daily updates on the hobby's dispute with "the feds." This week it gave a plan of action.

"Senator Enzi has requested that you fax your letter and phone your two senators to enlist their support for this important legislation," the posting said of a measure exempting rocketry from the Safe Explosives Act. "If you have not done so yet, please do it this week."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says the most common model-rocket motors, which are smaller and typically use a weaker fuel, do not require permits and will not be affected.

"The Safe Explosives Act has not, does not and will not affect that exemption," said Gail Davis, chief of the bureau's public safety branch.

But hobbyists fear that restrictions on how explosive material can be shipped will hamper businesses that make and sell rocket motors.

Curtailed shipping could lead to a de facto ban on motor sales, said Gregory Lyzenga, a rocket enthusiast and geophysics researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"It's not as though there's been a law passed saying `model rocketry is illegal,' but it's just that the materials are unavailable," Mr. Lyzenga said.

Rocketeers are suing the bureau in federal court in Washington to force it to change its classification of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant as an explosive. They say it burns and does not blow up.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Hobbies like these are what make tomorrow's engineers and today's engineers better...

See reply #20.

[bert]

It's not just for kids.... Estes is the way I became a Rocket Scientist.

[Roscoe]

Boycott the airline industry and its airport/POW camps

And don't let the space aliens beam you up into their flying saucers.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for that info. Here is the review from imdb.com:


Summary: Excellent Film!

There is virtually nothing I didn't like about this film. Everything in this film is done so very well. The acting is well executed, the story is excellent, the cast is great, the directing perfect...just an all-around superb movie!

What makes this film so great is that it is based on the real life events of Homer Hickam and "The Rocket Boys". The film is very inspirational and teaches you that if you truly want to fulfill your dreams, GO FOR IT! Don't just sit around, MAKE IT HAPPEN!

The cast is absolutely perfect in this film. I loved every actor and actress in this film and thought all of them did an excellent job with their roles. Jake Gyllenhaal is superb as Homer Hickam, I think he's really an "up-and-coming" young actor. Chris Cooper, Laura Dern, Chris Owen, William Lee Scott, Chad Lindberg, and everyone else really deserve some notice this film. Job well done! And let's not forget the directing of Joe Johnston! Joe doesn't seem to make bad movies (although I did have some problems with "Jumanji", but not much), can't wait to see his next work!

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone that is interested in a drama about some young men trying to fulfill their dreams. This really is a great movie, and I hope you will enjoy it too. Thanks for reading,

[ExSES]

No kidding! Everyone here should watch "October Sky" A great movie about Homer Hickum (future NASA engineer) and his efforts to build a rocket.

Undoubtedly a subversive at heart!

As a prospective rocketeer in the late 50s (living just outside the Cape Canaveral area), my attempts at producing rockets were quite often the source of investigation by Brevard County Deputies and Patrick AFB APs!

Though, in my feeble defense, numerous multi-million dollar versions were regularly BLOWING UP (Vanguards, Early Atlas's, etc.).

My buddies and I certainly were not attempting to set off BOMBS..., but it often turned out that way! We would carefully prepare the launch area in the dunes down by the beach, hunker down in our sandbagged "Launch Control Facility"..., then have to snatch up our meager equipmant and run like hell after a launch "failure".

Unlike any movie portrayals, we would usually "regroup" a few miles down the beach to conduct a "Post-Launch" session during which we would brainstorm what went wrong (and consume a few six-packs!).

[The Duke]

Now after 9/11, as I recall, all the bureaucrats said that the attack on New York was "an attack on our freedoms". So, since I am now less free in the airports and in my private pursuits, does it mean we lost that war too?

I don't vote for curtailing our freedoms, I vote for killing the bad guys!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Everyone here should watch "October Sky" A great movie about Homer Hickum (future NASA engineer) and his efforts to build a rocket.

That'll teach me to be too quick on the keyboard without reading the whole thread. You beat me by 6 posts (#20). Well, at least I contributed a picture!

Seriously folks, this is a great movie. My daughter gave it to us as an anniversary present and is a part of my permanent collection.

This really is nothing new. My husband designed a model of a nuclear submarine for his science fair project in HS (his chemistry teacher had been part of the Manhatten Project) and got kicked out of the fair for his trouble. Seems that he inadvertently used classified material!

[Cvengr]

That's OK, the real engineers of tommorrow won't stop there. They'll synthesize their own compounds, but unfortuntely such black market experimentation will be considerably less safe.

There's greater threat today from RF controlled model buggies than fom model rocketry. These regulations are only one step above strip searches of granny for having a pair of tweezers or finger nail clippers in her purse as she strolls through the mall.

IMHO, it's incredibly foolish.

[plusone]

You'll probably get flamed for that post, but thanks for saying it. Too bad many refuse to listen to the message.

[annyokie]

I have Rocket Scientists in the making here. Love those Estes rockets!

[annyokie]

I have Rocket Scientists in the making here. Love those Estes rockets!

[Ramius]

This was already debunked a couple of weeks ago. The inclusion of materials like Estes rocked motors in the new rules was inadvertent. Revision of the rules to exempt them is already underway.

[LiberationIT]

Thanks for the post and the visit to Tripoli.org. I too am an NRA member although I am not a hunter and only an occasional shooter. I belong to support my rights.

Regards.

[Ramius]

Holy moly. And they're putting Flouride in the water, too!!

I don't want to challenge your paranoia, as it clearly is making you happy, but wow, do you put bottles on your doorknobs too?

[Nik Naym]

They may not sound burdensome unless you know the whole story. For one thing, to get the permit they will require, one will have to agree to allow the feds to enter and inspect the persons HOME and property at ANY TIME. You want to give up your privacy rights for a hobby?

Also, the storage that they are requiring is such that most towns and localities will simply not allow them. They see the word "explosives" and say no. Never mind that this stuff is NOT an explosive.


These rules ARE burdensome, and the hobby realy will die as a result. Simple fact is, most rocketeers will NOT qualify for the permits, simply because they don't have enough land in a free enough town to put in the required "explosives" storage magazine.

Also, the feds have made the laws so restrictive RE: shipping motors that it is going to be nearly impossible to get them, even little old Estes rocket motors, since shippers are already refusing to handle them due to regulations.

Of course, since they haven't come after YOUR hobby yet, it doesn't sound so burdensome.

Nik

[Orangedog]

No, but maybe they should be visiting suspicious people with explosives.

Please define "suspicious" and "explosives".

[Nik Naym]

For info on rocketry, visit the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) at

http://www.nar.org

Nik

[annyokie]

Thanks for the cool link!

[Jhoffa_]

This is f-ing insane..

Any criminal smart enough to turn one of these things into a weapon could either lay hands on the engines or simply make his own.

The only people fedgov is hurting is a bunch of ten year old astronaut wanna-bees.

Makes me sick.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

...do you put bottles on your doorknobs too?

Only a true moron would have the slightest idea what that means, which I don't, but I am quite certain that you do.