"What’s Fuss About?” Asks Rocket Launcher

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 17

" What’s Fuss About?” Asks Rocket Launcher

(New Zealand Press Association)

WANGANUI, July 23. Fifteen-year-old Andrew Robertson, of tne Wanganui Technical School, who launched a rocket o>n Sunday, wonders what “all the fuss is about." Today the chief inspector of explosives (Mr E. L. Sellens) said the assembly of a rocket from a kitset came within the definition of making explosives, contrary to the Explosives Act of 1957. Police investigations made at the request of the Department of Internal Affairs revealed that the rocket fired was imported in a kitset which included a ready-made propellant. The Department of Internal Affairs strongly discouraged the making by amateurs of rockets of all types and the firing of those not approved as fireworks in the interests of riublic safety. In future the department would take action necessary to enforce the provisions of the act, he said. Assembly of the type of rocket used at Wanganui would probably be fairly safe, said Mr Sellens. but firing it could well endanger the firer and others. If an amateur manufactured explosives for other types of

rocket from chemicals or from materials obtained from ready-made explosives, however, it would be extremely dangerous. Andrew, who is studying science at school, said tonight he had applied to the Reserve Bank which allotted him five dollars to purchase his model rocket from a Colorado address. The rocket kitset arrived from the United States about three weeks ago. It had been opened and inspected by the Customs Department and transmitted to him by the Post Office. “Then I fired it—and that’s where the trouble seeris to have started,” he said. “If I was not allowed to have it. why did they let me buy it?” Andrew, a model aeroplane enthusiast, said he considered the rocket he fired is not half as dangerous as some of the free-flight model aeroplanes in use. “I suppose someone will ban them next,” he said.