Ian's Pictures from Roton/ATV Rollout
All Pictures

Back up to my Roton/ATV Rollout pictures main page

From the parking area at 8:30AM on rollout day, the Rotary "high bay" hangar containing the Roton/ATV is the building on the right. On the left is a permanently-parked Boeing 747.

This is sneaking in a photo while Rotary's crews have temporarily opened one of the large doors of the high bay to move some equipment through.

Another view of the high bay

The Rotary Rocket Company logo on the top front of the high bay

Inside the low-bay hangar, booths are set up for attendees. In the center bottom of the photo, ERPS President Kevin Bollinger smiles for the camera.

Food (bagels, donuts, etc) in the foreground, booths in the background

Another angle on the food, shows a few more of the people who had arrived that early

helicopter with Rotary Rocket logo on it, a sign on the chopper explains how it's part of Rotary's test program

A picture of me standing next to a Russian Yak 3. (photo by Daniel Spector)

the high and low bays

ERPS members talk at one of the tables - from left to right: Gene Rominger, Anne Bennedsen, and John Lewis. The ERPS 750 rocket engine is on the table.

The crowd assembles as 11AM approaches

First speaker: master of ceremonies Rick Tumlinson of the Space Frontier Foundation

Another shot, now showing the stands full - this does not show hundreds of people who were standing.

Second speaker: Dan Sabovich, Mojave Airport Manager

Third speaker: Tom Clancy, novelist and member of Rotary's Board of Directors

Fourth speaker: Patricia Grace Smith, FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation (and some guy holding down her papers from blowing away in the wind)

Fifth speaker: NASA Chief Engineer, Dr. Daniel Mulville

Sixth speaker: Gary Hudson, President and CEO of Rotary Rocket Company

The doors begin to open. The smoke machine effect is completely undone by the high winds. (The crowd's attention remained fixed on what's behind those doors.)

The doors are open.

Roton/ATV begins to emerge from the building.

Roton/ATV is now completely visible as it's pushed out of the building.

Roton/ATV is now outside in the public view for the first time.

A lower close-up as the crew continues towing the vehicle out.

Pilots (in orange) and Rotary CEO Gary Hudson pose for pictures in front of the vehicle.

A view of the rotors and the top of the high bay

The mid section: the camera platform in back is for the live satellite TV feed.

Now close up to the Roton/ATV, looking up

The base of Roton/ATV, the pilots (in orange) and the crowd. Roton/ATV's aircraft N-number is visible to the right.

Another view of the rotors and the always-contrail-filled Mojave sky

A mid-section close-up of Roton/ATV, the circular crew cabin and Rotary Rocket company logo

Another mid-section view with a bit of sunburst effect

A different angle on Roton/ATV and the high bay with another sunburst. ("The dawn of a new era?" :-)

The Sun behind Roton/ATV and the high bay.

The pilots and company officials still posing for pictures with the vehicle.

Another view of Roton/ATV's rotors and the high bay

The crowd mills around Roton/ATV. The high bay is in the background. The Telair 747 can be seen in the distance parked behind the high bay, providing some scale.

It's hard to get the full 63-foot height of Roton/ATV in a single photo and show the crowd too...

Roton/ATV and the crowd.

Roton/ATV and the high bay.

More Roton/ATV, crowd and high bay. The hangar off in the distant background is an unrelated company at Mojave, with a Boeing 747 parked halfway into their enormous hangar.

Roton/ATV, the high bay and the low bay. The TelAir 747 is visible in the background between the high and low bays.

Roton/ATV, the high bay and the low bay, in a slightly-lower shot that includes more of the crowd. The TelAir 747 is visible in the background between the high and low bays.

The TV crew plaform is raised high for a shot of the Roton/ATV and the crowd.

The TV crew plaform is raised high for a shot of the Roton/ATV and the crowd.

Another view of the TV crew platform, Roton/ATV and crowd. Attendees' vehicles are parked on the Mojave Airport ramp in the background. Beyond them are the airport's taxiways and runways. Hills in the Mojave Desert are visible in the far background.

A zoom-in on the Roton/ATV from the same point of view as the previous photo.

World-famous aircraft designer Burt Rutan was among the attendees. His company, Scaled Composites, which is also located at the Mojave Airport, made the composite structure for Roton/ATV.

Roton/ATV is towed back into the high bay hangar. We were told from the beginning that it would only be out a short time due to the high winds.

Lunch was catered in the low bay hangar afterward. Some of us talked about this and believe this was a necessary part of the plans since the attendees probably number several times more than the capacity of all the restaurants in Mojave. However, they might have done this anyway since Rotary didn't go cheap on anything at this event.

ERPS members having lunch.

ERPS members having lunch. Left to right: ERPS flight electronics developer John Lewis, ERPS documentation specialist Anne Bennedsen, actress Irene Manning Hunter, ERPS director (and rocket scientist of DC-X fame) Max Hunter

The high and low bays after the rollout event. Note the bare dirt in the foreground: at the time Rotary had more concrete to pour before Roton/ATV could be towed onto the airport ramp.

Looking up at Roton/ATV inside the high bay.

Looking up at Roton/ATV inside the high bay. The mock payload bay doors are painted where they will be on the orbital versions of Roton. The Rotary logo is above a gadget which we guessed is a maneuvering jet. The US flag in the high bay is in the background.

Looking up at Roton/ATV inside the high bay.

Another angle of Roton/ATV showing the N-number. The crew cabin door is open.

A view up the stairs to the crew cabin. There's a long line to get up there (not shown in picture.)

Colored lights shine on Roton/ATV and its N-number. People are at the top of the stairs to the crew cabin and obviously some are having their pictures taken in the pilots' seats.

Back up to my Roton/ATV Rollout pictures main page

	From the parking area at 8:30AM on rollout day, the Rotary "high bay" hangar containing the Roton/ATV is the building on the right. On the left is a permanently-parked Boeing 747.
	This is sneaking in a photo while Rotary's crews have temporarily opened one of the large doors of the high bay to move some equipment through.
	Another view of the high bay
	The Rotary Rocket Company logo on the top front of the high bay
	Inside the low-bay hangar, booths are set up for attendees. In the center bottom of the photo, ERPS President Kevin Bollinger smiles for the camera.
	Food (bagels, donuts, etc) in the foreground, booths in the background
	Another angle on the food, shows a few more of the people who had arrived that early
	helicopter with Rotary Rocket logo on it, a sign on the chopper explains how it's part of Rotary's test program
	A picture of me standing next to a Russian Yak 3. (photo by Daniel Spector)
	the high and low bays
	ERPS members talk at one of the tables - from left to right: Gene Rominger, Anne Bennedsen, and John Lewis. The ERPS 750 rocket engine is on the table.
	The crowd assembles as 11AM approaches
	First speaker: master of ceremonies Rick Tumlinson of the Space Frontier Foundation
	Another shot, now showing the stands full - this does not show hundreds of people who were standing.
	Second speaker: Dan Sabovich, Mojave Airport Manager
	Third speaker: Tom Clancy, novelist and member of Rotary's Board of Directors
	Fourth speaker: Patricia Grace Smith, FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation (and some guy holding down her papers from blowing away in the wind)
	Fifth speaker: NASA Chief Engineer, Dr. Daniel Mulville
	Sixth speaker: Gary Hudson, President and CEO of Rotary Rocket Company
	The doors begin to open. The smoke machine effect is completely undone by the high winds. (The crowd's attention remained fixed on what's behind those doors.)
	The doors are open.
	Roton/ATV begins to emerge from the building.
	Roton/ATV is now completely visible as it's pushed out of the building.
	Roton/ATV is now outside in the public view for the first time.
	A lower close-up as the crew continues towing the vehicle out.
	Pilots (in orange) and Rotary CEO Gary Hudson pose for pictures in front of the vehicle.
	A view of the rotors and the top of the high bay
	The mid section: the camera platform in back is for the live satellite TV feed.
	Now close up to the Roton/ATV, looking up
	The base of Roton/ATV, the pilots (in orange) and the crowd. Roton/ATV's aircraft N-number is visible to the right.
	Another view of the rotors and the always-contrail-filled Mojave sky
	A mid-section close-up of Roton/ATV, the circular crew cabin and Rotary Rocket company logo
	Another mid-section view with a bit of sunburst effect
	A different angle on Roton/ATV and the high bay with another sunburst. ("The dawn of a new era?" :-)
	The Sun behind Roton/ATV and the high bay.
	The pilots and company officials still posing for pictures with the vehicle.
	Another view of Roton/ATV's rotors and the high bay
	The crowd mills around Roton/ATV. The high bay is in the background. The Telair 747 can be seen in the distance parked behind the high bay, providing some scale.
	It's hard to get the full 63-foot height of Roton/ATV in a single photo and show the crowd too...
	Roton/ATV and the crowd.
	Roton/ATV and the high bay.
	More Roton/ATV, crowd and high bay. The hangar off in the distant background is an unrelated company at Mojave, with a Boeing 747 parked halfway into their enormous hangar.
	Roton/ATV, the high bay and the low bay. The TelAir 747 is visible in the background between the high and low bays.
	Roton/ATV, the high bay and the low bay, in a slightly-lower shot that includes more of the crowd. The TelAir 747 is visible in the background between the high and low bays.
	The TV crew plaform is raised high for a shot of the Roton/ATV and the crowd.
	The TV crew plaform is raised high for a shot of the Roton/ATV and the crowd.
	Another view of the TV crew platform, Roton/ATV and crowd. Attendees' vehicles are parked on the Mojave Airport ramp in the background. Beyond them are the airport's taxiways and runways. Hills in the Mojave Desert are visible in the far background.
	A zoom-in on the Roton/ATV from the same point of view as the previous photo.
	World-famous aircraft designer Burt Rutan was among the attendees. His company, Scaled Composites, which is also located at the Mojave Airport, made the composite structure for Roton/ATV.
	Roton/ATV is towed back into the high bay hangar. We were told from the beginning that it would only be out a short time due to the high winds.
	Lunch was catered in the low bay hangar afterward. Some of us talked about this and believe this was a necessary part of the plans since the attendees probably number several times more than the capacity of all the restaurants in Mojave. However, they might have done this anyway since Rotary didn't go cheap on anything at this event.
	ERPS members having lunch.
	ERPS members having lunch. Left to right: ERPS flight electronics developer John Lewis, ERPS documentation specialist Anne Bennedsen, actress Irene Manning Hunter, ERPS director (and rocket scientist of DC-X fame) Max Hunter
	The high and low bays after the rollout event. Note the bare dirt in the foreground: at the time Rotary had more concrete to pour before Roton/ATV could be towed onto the airport ramp.
	Looking up at Roton/ATV inside the high bay.
	Looking up at Roton/ATV inside the high bay. The mock payload bay doors are painted where they will be on the orbital versions of Roton. The Rotary logo is above a gadget which we guessed is a maneuvering jet. The US flag in the high bay is in the background.
	Looking up at Roton/ATV inside the high bay.
	Another angle of Roton/ATV showing the N-number. The crew cabin door is open.
	A view up the stairs to the crew cabin. There's a long line to get up there (not shown in picture.)
	Colored lights shine on Roton/ATV and its N-number. People are at the top of the stairs to the crew cabin and obviously some are having their pictures taken in the pilots' seats.

Ian's Pictures from Roton/ATV Rollout All Pictures

Ian's Pictures from Roton/ATV Rollout
All Pictures