The UK's exceptional seven-member MARS team during final launch preparations at the BALLS 2000 experimental high power rocketry launch on October 1, 2000, at Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The team arrived at the event with the goal of setting a new UK amateur rocket altitude record. For that purpose, they had designed the Phobos EAV rocket, powered by a Kosdon O10000 motor.
Phobos EAV was a two-part vehicle, consisting of the powered lower section containing the motor and an unpowered boosted dart upper section. The vehicle measured 3960 mm in length and 104 mm in diameter. Both parts were to be recovered by parachutes. The top two photos show the lower section being readied for insertion into the launch tower.
Third photo from top depicts the electronics bay of the boosted dart upper section before closing. The electronics consisted of three altimeters/accelerometers, a backup timer, as well as tracking equipment. The dart upper section was constructed from fibreglass and kevlar, with carbon fibre fins and steel nose and tail cones.
Lowermost photo shows the MARS team placing the powered lower section of Phobos EAV in the launch tower; the dart upper section was added later. The lower section was also fitted with a separate altimeter/accelerometer and a backup timer, in order to trigger the booster recovery system.
Both parts of the Phobos EAV rocket performed flawlessly, achieving what was later confirmed to be a new UK amateur rocket altitude record of 34,579 feet.
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