For more details, see http://nerdfever.com/?page_id=695 2 October 2010, Amesbury MA (CMASS) -- Flight #31, "Rev 4a" hardware flight #6 LCO: CMASS Still photographer: None Video photographer: Dave Flight configuration: 1. Booster: Thrud 2. Motor: Cesaroni 163H133BS-14A 3. Ejection: Electronic 4. Electronics: Rev4a hardware, PA6 GPS, AD4 altimeter (backup) 5. Launch detection: Electronic 6. Recovery: NASA NPW5 steerable (SuperChute) Objectives: 1. Attempt GPS-steered parachute navigation back to launch site Summary: Parachute did not deploy properly due to line tangling. Crash with minor damage. Results: Rocket spent a lot of time on the pad with servo running prior to launch, due to 3 failed attempts to launch N2O hybrid motor (there wasn't enough N2O in the tank). On the 4th launch attempt, rocket flew on a Cesaroni conventional motor. Good liftoff. Parachute ejected near apogee (maybe a little past). Parachute was badly tangled and did not inflate. High speed landing in draggy configuration; minor damage. Post-flight analysis: Both ejection charges had fired upon recovery. Battery was at 8.02 volts (unloaded) several days after flight (still mostly charged). Per on-board altimeter, apogee was at 767.5 feet AGL, which was also the ejection altitude. Descent (and impact) speed was 36.3 mph -- enough for minor damage. Total flight time was 22.5 seconds. Satellite lock went from 9 at launch to 5 (at apogee) then 1 (after ejection). This recovered during descent to 5 at t200 mS after ejection, then 6 for one sample about 2.3 seconds after that. At about 300 feet AGL 8 satellites were locked, at about 8 seconds after apogee. This seems adequate for navigation. Results: Objective 1 -- Failed Lessons learned: a. A system to avoid line tangling is needed.