Reprinted from The Advertiser, Friday, October 23, 1992, p.1

Rocket blast-off ends in big bang
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by Zac Donovan

     Australia's re-entry into the space race ended in a huge cloud of smoke
and flames at Woomera yesterday - and a $400 valve has been blamed.

     Ausroc II, an unmanned 6 m rocket designed and built by amateur enthusiasts
from Melbourne's Monash University, was engulfed in flames when a launch was
attempted about 10:25 am.

     The largest liquid-fuelled rocket built in Australia was expected to climb
12 km, hit a top speed of 1600 km/h and travel about 25 km from the Woomera 
launch site in South Australia's Far North.

     Instead Ausroc II, which took four years and $200,000 to get to the launch
pad, exploded in a ball of flames and smoke.

     Project scientists said the small valve apparently did not open to let
liquid oxygen accelerant mix with kerosene fuel. The fuel ignited into a
brilliant orange flame that without the oxygen mixture was unable to propel
the rocket.

     When the kerosene flame burnt back to the liquid oxygen, it exploded the
top half of the rocket off the launch pad.

     Despite the setback, range officials believe the attempt will heighten
public interest and boost plans to launch commercial satellites from Woomera.

     Woomera range manager Mr. Bob Dyer said the failure was to be expected in
the rocket industry.

     "The fact that they got as far as they did was a real boost to this 
place," he said.

     The bid follows a proposal by the Southern Launch Vehicle consortium to
launch $21m communication satellites from Woomera by 1994.

     The SLV group, headed by British Aerospace Australia, has said it was 
likely to seek government funding for initial launches.

     Mr. Dyer said yesterday the use of Woomera for the Ausroc II rocket bid
could help convince the Federal Government to invest in the SLV program.

     "People will start to talk about Woomera again and I hope that filters
back to the right people," he said.

     "The equipment is still here and the range is in perfect condition; there
is no reason not to start using it again."

     The State Government believes the SLV project could create 2000 jobs and
inject $100 million into SA.

     Ausroc program co-ordinator Mr. Mark Blair said yesterday the team of 12
amateur rocket builders would be "spurred on" by the failure.

     "You learn far more from your mistakes than you do from your successes,"
he said.

     At the end of the countdown yesterday, the rocket failed to take off. 
About five minutes later it exploded.