From The Advertiser, Wednesday, 24 May 1995, p.10:

Winds Threaten Rocket Launch

by Rick Holden
at Woomera

  Australia's largest liquid fuelled rocket is due to be launched at Woomera
this morning - weather permitting.
  The 6m kerosene-oxygen powered experimental Ausroc II-2, carrying the dreams
and aspirations of the Australian Space Research Institute, was lifted into
position on its "rail launcher" yesterday.
  However, the team responsible for this morning's lift-off were worried about
rising winds at the rocket range in the Far North of South Australia yesterday.
  They fear the experiment may be hampered by stronger-than-expected winds,
which late yesterday saw winds peak at 17 knots around the Woomera township.
  But if all goes according to plan, Ausroc II-2 will lift off from the 
launching pad at 10am, reaching an altitude of about 10km and covering a
distance of about 25km across the ground.
  Its on-board computers will store data on pefformance, which ASRI hopes to 
use for further rocket development.
  ASRI, a semi-professional group, has taken more than two years to return to
the Woomera launching pad after an unsuccessful attempt in 1992.
  An ASRI spokesman said yesterday that winds below 12km/h were preferred and
the Ausroc II-2 launch would be postponed if the winds peaked at more than
16 km/h.
  Ausroc launch co-ordinator Mr Mark Blair was philosophical and even joked
about the explosion which destroyed the organisation's previous rocket,
Ausroc II in 1992.
  "They say you are never indoctrinated into the rocketry fraternity until you
have had your first failure," Mr Blair said.
  But he admitted he was tense about today's launch.
  "Is it going to work? That is the ultimate worry you've got...have you looked
at every valve, checked every wire?
  "It is a very complicated device and it only takes one fault to destroy the
whole vehicle."
  Ausroc team member and Hawker de Havilland engineer Mr Ian Bryce said his
colleagues had been "working on pure adrenalin" in the build-up to today's
launch.
  Mr Bryce, who has worked on major national projects such as the Aussat 
Satellite and the Optus B series of satellites, said the successful firing of
Ausroc II-2 could finally give this independent project the type of public
profile and support it needed for Australia to develop satellite launching
capabilities.
  "We are very enthusiastic people and most of us are professionals, but we 
are doing this on a voluntary basis, so it puts a lot of strain on our own 
finances," Mr Bryce said.
  "Most of us here are taking leave from work and paying out our own money, so
it is disappointing we don't get a bit more support from the Federal
Government."
  But Mr Bryce, an ASRI director, did acknowledge the financial assistance his
organisation had received from the Federal Government through the Australian
Space Office.