Ted Kinsman is a scientific photographer that specializes in creating images for books, magazines, and television. His particular areas of interest are in x-ray radiography, high-speed photography, Scanning electron microscopy, and time-lapse cinematography. His work has appeared in numerous books and magazines ranging from Discover Magazine to Forbes. Recently his work has appeared on Gray's Anatomy and CSI New York. In addition to running 
B.N. (Bobbie) Sullivan has a strong affinity for the sea and everything in it. She first learned to dive in 1970 and has since logged thousands of dives. A wish to document the marine life she encountered prompted her to learn underwater photography more than 20 years ago. More recently, she began to write about the marine life she has photographed. A research psychologist by profession, she approaches her subject matter with the mindset of a scientist, but targets her writing to a general readership in whom she hopes to foster an appreciation for the ocean and its inhabitants.
B Jefferson Bolender is Training Coordinator of the State of Arizona's
program for disability awareness and assistive technology. Through
her travels she always has a camera at hand to photograph everything
from people to technology and nature. As a teacher of elementary
education, special education and art, her interests include a wide
array of subject matter with an emphasis on documentation with an
artist's eye.
Steve Jurvetson enjoys rocketry and photography and especially the pursuit of both in the Black Rock Desert. Some action photos and video links can be found 
Alex Wild is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he works on the molecular phylogenetics of various groups of insects. He is also a part-time photographer whose images appear in such venues as Ranger Rick, Smithsonian, BBC Wildlife, and even ScienceBlogs.
A pair of Army scale rockets line up in the desert...
Five sparky research motors clustered together (four M's and an O) in the Little John give quite a show:
and then a another Deep sub-woofer blastoff with a cluster of five AMW motors. Jack's Nike Smoke is 19 ft. tall, and 422 lbs.
(lots of detail in the original size; you can see the left motor was late to ignite.)
But, one of the five motors blew its forward closure, torching the flight electronics inside... and since the parachutes are deployed by computer... we get a ballistic return to the playa for this maiden flight.
In the foreground is one of the away pad launch rails from which it launched. And the wreckage of one twisted firestarter...
This DarbsWorld video happened to catch a rare event: a rocket launching up and over my head, but failing to deploy its chute, and returning as a ballistic missile:
The sound track is INSANE. It really captures the emotion of the moment, with some adult language by the launch team during all the excitement. That's my buddies and I standing in the playa at the end shooting photos of the arc overhead.
Of course, the Desert is no stranger to Nike rockets...
Wedge is dreaming of a full scale Nike Hercules... Four Q motors would stage to an S motor in the upper stage, making this the most powerful hobby rocket ever attempted. At .9 million Newton-seconds of impulse, it's getting close to a shuttle booster. Here is Wedge's site with details...
Physical Science
Technology
Comments
With the end of the month fast approaching, I'm hoping to see some images from the rockets themselves. Given the spectacular failures you've shown so far, some spectacular successes which be nice.
Oh, if you know of a company that needs an art historian geographer nee computer network jockey (ancient stuff like X.25 to Wifi, SONET, and ATM too) I could use the tip. I don't want to go to NYC ;^)
Posted by: Onkel Bob | May 26, 2009 2:15 AM
I am in Reno, and I wish I had heard of this...would have been a great reason to take off from work!
And your post includes the first mention of playa for 2009. Congrats.
Posted by: BobbyEarle | May 26, 2009 3:12 AM
Bob - I hear you. The failures provide a certain NASCAR-like fascination and heightened sense of danger... and provide for more varied and thrilling photo ops, but you are right. We do it for the success. I will put a post together. In the meantime, here is an absolutely breathtaking shot from a perfect flight:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/271833246/
It was still going supersonic at that point... and recovered fully unharmed by parachute... Enjoy!
Posted by: jurvetson | May 26, 2009 4:03 PM
Thanks for posting these excellent rocket videos. I was very much involved in rocketry during my younger years with the Boy Scouts and in high school and these videos bring back fond memories. Excellent sir!
Posted by: pradeep | June 4, 2009 2:21 AM
Oh, if you know of a company that needs an art historian geographer nee computer network jockey (ancient stuff like X.25 to Wifi, SONET, and ATM too) I could use the tip. I don't want to go to NYC ;^)
Posted by: 4x hilesi | August 10, 2010 3:52 AM