Tripoli International High-Power Rocket Launch

Festival Location: Orangeburg, SC, USA

Festival State: South Carolinan Festivals

Festival Type(s): Air Shows, Bizarre Festivals

By: © Nelson Taylor 2009

If you've seen the movie "October Sky," you already have a good feel for what this annual LDRS (Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships) gathering is all about. In fact, Quentin Wilson, one of the four boys portrayed in the movie, showed up at the 1999 gathering to give his nod of approval. This is the largest and most prestigious launching of rockets in America, held in July in various places around the nation every year. To call these rockets toys is an extreme understatement. Some stand 30 feet tall and are equipped with the same solid rocket fuel the space shuttle uses, propelling them to altitudes of 30,000 feet.

Event organizer and launcher Bruce Lee says, "Someday soon, probably in the next year, one of us is going to send a rocket into outer space." Launchers consider 50 miles up to be outer space. "Imagine," he says, "being the first nongovernmental body to leave the atmosphere." But this event isn't just for the big boys. Rocket launcher -- over 400 in all -- from every class are welcome. $35 is the annual registration fee for launching, but if you aim to be one of the 100-plus spectators the event is free.