New Designs - The new launch tower no longer requires heavy concrete tubs and only takes a minute to set up. Here Joe Latrell and Sam Schaffer demonstrate the new design.

Proud Papa - CEO Joe Latrell poses before the craft. Since safety is always important, no matter the age of the "child," fire suppression gear can also be seen in the picture.

Ignition - The solid motor fuel ignites and a split second later, LC-3 is racing for the clouds. By time the 17 foot craft left the tower, it was traveling near the speed of sound.

Up, Up, and Away - LC-3 flies straight as an arrow. The new parachute design worked flawlessly until a thermal took the rocket back into the clouds.

Sam Schaffer, Joe Latrell, and Steve Adams remove the telemetry equipment from LC-3 so that the data can be analyzed on the way home. Sadly, the data had been corrupted during the long interval between launch and recovery.

Snug It Down - Steve Adams, Joe Latrell, and Sam Schaffer load the LC-3 for return to the Colorado Springs hangar while Ty Anderson looks on. After 60 days in the harsh weather of the Pawnee Grasslands, the windows of the rocket were still clean.