Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) - A bill to loosen federal restrictions for model rocket enthusiasts drew fire Tuesday from senators from New York and New Jersey, who said the proposal would give terrorists access to dangerous explosives. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the measure by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., to change the Homeland Security Act to allow rocket enthusiasts to buy black powder and another form of high-powered rocket propellant without submitting to a background check. The act was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Standing next to a seven-foot tall rocket, Schumer said the legislation effectively would allow would-be terrorists...

The capsule is plucked from the sea after a splashy re-entry. A satellite capsule carrying superconductive materials grown in space was recovered Friday in waters southeast of the Ogasawara islands after completing its nine-month mission. It is the first time Japan has recovered materials it produced in space. The capsule disengaged from its host in space, an experimental satellite called the Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System (USERS), just after 4 a.m. Friday. After orbiting the Earth once, it exited its orbit by reversing its engine and re-entered the atmosphere. At 6:34 a.m., a search plane picked up signals from the...

“Model rocket enthusiasts across the country and even across the ocean are very worried about how enforcement of regulations and the passage of new restrictions in the Homeland Security Act could negatively affect them. It was not Congress’ intent to harm model rocketry with passage of the Homeland Security Act. My bill would simply assure that people can go on enjoying their hobby without having to jump through a lot of needless regulatory hoops”

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...