Scientific Explorer Meteor

Scientific Explorer - Meteor {Kit}

Contributed by Matt Kuhn

Manufacturer: Scientific Explorer
Style: Other
Rating
(Contributed - by Matt Kuhn)

Box CoverBrief:
The Meteor is 1.5 liter bottle with three fins and a nose cone. It launched with vinegar and baking powder to a hundred feet. It is meant for little kids who want rockets with out explosives.

Construction:
The rocket is made form a 1.5 liter bottle, a sheet of balsa wood, silver shiny tape, foam tape, a transparent red paper and a plastic nose cone. The rocket is launched with two rubber stoppers, a big screw, a plastic tube, and a bolt. Every thing I listed comes with the kit!

First you trace and cut out the fins from a sheet of balsa wood. Then you cover the fins with this shiny silver paper they give to to make it look nice. The you glue the fins on to the pop bottle and reinforce it with the extra shiny paper. Next you tape a red transparent piece of plastic on to the top of the pop bottle to hold on the nose cone. The instructions were clear on how to make the Meteor, but were too long. Withe the materials that the rocket are make form, I don't think it was worth the $20 that I bought it for.

PictureFinishing:
There really was not finishing to do because the body is transparent. It still looks neat though.

Construction Rating: 3 out of 5

Flight:
The flight of this rocket was very interesting. First you put about a cup of vinegar into the pop bottle. The you stick the plastic tube on to the rubber stopper and fill it up with as much baking powder as you want. Then you put the rubber stopper with the baking powder into the bottle (the rubber stopper stops at the opening of the bottle while the tube of baking powder goes inside the bottle). Then you turn the rocket upside down and start shaking it so the chemicals mix. You then turn it right side up and put it on the ground. Poof up into the air about 100 feet then fall back to earth. That is what is supposed to happen on a normal flight, which never happened for me. When I would mix up the chemicals, would explode in my hands and get me soaking wet. That happened 3 times. But out of all the failures, I did get it to work once by letting it launch in my hand. The rocket is not propelled by the liquids, as it looks like in the picture, but by the gasses in which it produces. It was kind of neat to see a rocket propelled by something you could not see.

Recovery:
The recover is not original, once it is up in the air, it just falls back to earth with no recovery systems. It doesn't need any anyway because all it is is a pop bottle.

Flight Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary:
If you want a present for a kid that is a rocket and can not hurt you or start a fire and gets you wet, this is what you are looking for. Personally, I probably would not recommend it to anyone though.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • Scientific Explorer Meteor By David Fergus

    Photo courtesy of Scientific Explorer This kit is made by Scientific Explorer, Inc. It is a carbon dioxide gas powered rocket. The gas is generated from the chemical reaction of vinegar and baking soda. The fueling module provides a safe and easy separation/mixing chamber controlled by the rocketeer. The kit was purchased from an Edmund Scientific catalog, and is available from other ...

Flights

Comments:

avatar
D.F. (September 1, 2001)
I must disagree with this reviewer. If you follow the instructions, it should NOT prematurely launch. After pouring in the vinegar, you MUST carefully tilt the rocket on it's side and insert the baking soda fueling module without spilling baking soda into the vinegar, TIGHTEN the wing nut as far as you can go with your fingers, THEN tilt and shake. It takes a good five seconds for the gas pressure to build up and overcome the force of the wing nut tightened rubber stopper. It does work and is safe if you follow the instructions.

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