Six rocket enthusiasts from Portland, Oregon, are gearing up to launch the only two-stage rocket in history to be powered by kegs of beer.
A Kickstarter for the rocket raised $2,235, surpassing the team's goal. The rocket is projected to reach a height of 20,000 feet at 650 miles per hour; its first load of cargo is a five-gallon keg of beer, and the second is a 15-gallon keg.
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The team behind the project refers to this type of rocket launch as "kegetry" or "keg lofting" (not to be confused with keg lifting). The idea was, fittingly, born from a drinking session. The group was sitting around and discussing rockets at a local bar, Dave Barbour told Mashable.
"The bartender said, 'You guys seem to really like rockets,'" Barbour recalled. "We laughed and explained that it was a hobby that had turned addiction." The bartender was impressed with the size of the team's rockets and asked if they had ever built a motor big enough to lift a keg.
The team plans to use a pale ale from Burnside Brewery, a local Portland brand, in its official launch in September. Sponsors who contributed at least $500 can have their names on the rocket and help to name it. The ultimate individual donation (upwards of $1,000, according to the Kickstarter page), would have let one push the launch button. But no donor gave enough to qualify.
This not the first time this group has launched a beer-propelled rocket. Its first attempt was in 2008, when the rocket cleared 6,000 feet. In 2012, it managed to reach 7,700 feet.