Know Nothing How To — Rocket Science

With Elon Musk getting headlines for his SpaceX rockets, it got me thinking, how hard could it be to launch some aluminum tube into space and return the tube safely back to earth?  When I was a young kid, I used to play with model rockets, that should qualify me as a "rocket scientist".  I mean, how hard could it be?

You build a 300 foot aluminum tube and stick a big thruster engine at the bottom.  You would probably have to install some fins around the base to keep the thing flying straight up.  Then you would have to figure out how to deliver whatever payload you are trying to shoot up into space, I'm still working on that part.  When it comes to fuel, I think some 104 octane from my cousin's 1971 Chevelle drag car should work.  Oh, almost forgot, you would have to build a tower to hold the tube upright before launch.  When it comes to a launch site, we have plenty for open land here in SE South Dakota, so that would be easy.  Put all that stuff together, then stand back and light that candle!

On second thought, maybe I should stick to radio and let Elon build the rockets.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.