How big is rocketry in the USA?

Hey guys, does anyone have any statistics on how big of a hobby this is? How many people launch rockets? Is this a growing hobby or shrinking?

Not as big as it should be or needs to be unfortunately.

Last time i spoke to Estes on the phone, they indicated that the hobby is shrinking.

NAR had a little over 6000 members as of last month, and is growing at a rate of something like 5% annually.

Obviously many more people than that fly rockets occasionally. A typical launch here in San Diego probably has 40-50 people, only a small fraction of which (20% or so, maybe) belong to an organization. And I'm sure there is rocketry happening outside of organized launches.

NAR membership fluctuates, they aim for 5800 steady members, and trying to grow. You'd think it would much, much higher, but it isn't.

When I was growing up, even regular stores had plastic models or balsa airplane kits for sale. Now, everything is pre-made, just open up the box and fly it...building a model rocket and then finding an open field to fly it, is not for people into instant gratification...

I think we do a poor job of promoting the hobby.

I still think the biggest issue is available land on which to launch rockets....at least it is for me.

AcidPaintball said:

Last time i spoke to Estes on the phone, they indicated that the hobby is shrinking.

Click to expand...

While Estes is the big player in the hobby and we love lots of what they do, there are more sources for parts and kits that may be sapping some of their business away. Also, anything above the lower levels of mid-power would be totally out of their scope.

There are lots of influences on the hobby and I'm hoping the advancement of the commercial space programs will spark some interest like the Space Race did in the 60s and 70s.

KennB said:

While Estes is the big player in the hobby and we love lots of what they do, there are more sources for parts and kits that may be sapping some of their business away. Also, anything above the lower levels of mid-power would be totally out of their scope.

There are lots of influences on the hobby and I'm hoping the advancement of the commercial space programs will spark some interest like the Space Race did in the 60s and 70s.

Click to expand...

Quite true.
Most of the folks I see coming into or back into the hobby seem to be either scratch building stuff or buying more kits in the MPR, HPR range.
Estes sales may be shrinking, but I highly doubt that that is a good way to judge whether or not the hobby as a whole is.
With all the vendors available online, it is a wonder that Estes even stays in business.
Not saying anything bad about Estes, I love the company, but there is simply too much else to choose from nowadays.

I think that if someone (not necessarily the US) were to attempt a manned mission to Mars, an asteroid, or a comet and seriously be making headline news about it, more people would either come back to the hobby, or join in for the first time. China's moon missions might be a starting point, presuming that they don't keep it too secret.

ArizonaSportsman said:

I still think the biggest issue is available land on which to launch rockets....at least it is for me.

Click to expand...

I think this is a biggie. I grew up on a farm, in a rural area, so it was not an issue then. I still go back there to fly some. Heck, I even flew ON CAMPUS on the University of Colorado at Boulder when I was in my PhD program. Probably can't do that now...

I'm not a "real" BAR, since I never stopped, though I did slow down some years. I was always flying with nieces and nephews and schools and such. But I agree with the sentiment of older folks (BAR or not) generally getting larger, non-Estes stuff (although those Pro II birds are nice).

Another issue is time. I've only ever flown with a club once, about 25 years ago, when I was up in Ohio for summer research. Time is the main issue. I fly when I can work it in. I'd like to go to the local flights (and maybe I will have a better shot at it with the closer in flights at Butner), but elder care and work together suck up almost all available time.

The_Lone_Beagle said:

NAR membership fluctuates, they aim for 5800 steady members, and trying to grow. You'd think it would much, much higher, but it isn't...

Click to expand...

They could garner higher membership numbers if they didn't charge $75.00/year...

That is simply too high a price to pay per year...

Flame on boys...

cwbullet said:

I think we do a poor job of promoting the hobby.

Click to expand...

I have thought for some time that rocketry should be on television. Rocketry is exciting to watch, and not many people are even aware of it as an activity. I just got started for the first time 10 months ago, and I'm in my 40's.

I got started when I saw a kit at Target - the same kit I'd received as a kid, but never used. My first thought was, "Huh... People still do that?"

Since getting involved and looking online, finding TRF and the NAR Facebook page, I've realized that, boy, DO they still do that! And the hobby has gotten so sophisticated, and I have the impression there are more adults doing it today than kids. I'm fond of saying "rocketry isn't just for Webelos any more."

But, of course, many people have no idea that it even exists. People often assume two things: 1) that this is a thing for kids, and 2) that it's dangerous (sometimes the same people think both things, which is weird). A lot of people ask me "Is that even legal??" I'm like, People, you can buy a lot of this stuff at hobby shops and toy stores!

I think rocketry needs some good branding. I think a network like ESPN or some other network which runs programming related to sports, hobbies or science and technology could make a great show on rocketry, and people would watch it. People watch dog shows, for crying out loud. People watch bowling and golf. People watch other people go fishing! A rocketry program with good production value would be fun to watch, and draw more people into the hobby.

BTW: I'm not knocking the sports or hobbies of bowling, golf and fishing. They're just not as fun to watch as they are to do.

[Edit] Oh, and recently, at a Barnes & Noble, I noticed a ton of RC aircraft magazines. Nothing on rockets - nothing in bookstores, anyway. Strange, because to me they seem like somewhat related hobbies.

Yep - as much as I dislike most "reality" TV shows - I could see a documentary/reality mini-series on Discovery Channel or something like that - being quite interesting to most people - even non-rocketry folks.

Something as simple as that would peak people's interest in at least trying rocketry or becoming BARs.

Variations of this topic show up here from time to time as it does on the “Trainboard” forum and the answer for both hobbies is; nobody really knows.

Does the equation: #of participants x $$$$$spent = “Health of the Hobby”?

If so; does that mean that having five people flying model rockets, each spending $20,000,000 a year equals a thriving hobby?

Is having 5,000,000 people spending $20 a year any better?

Now IMO, neither of those scenarios equals a healthy hobby even though the sales figures for both are pretty danged good.

One shows a lack of participation except for an obsessive few the other shows mass participation by a bunch of people that have little real interest.

Obviously the real numbers for both of those variables are somewhere in the middle of those extremes and by finding out those numbers we can perhaps answer the original question. . .

Which was what again?

KidRockET said:

They could garner higher membership numbers if they didn't charge $75.00/year...

That is simply too high a price to pay per year...

Flame on boys...

Click to expand...

$62.00 - over 26 years old
$25.00- under 26 years old Other cheaper options also. Good Deal!!

We need to make more low and mid power launch without rocket Inspection, and biblical rules and especially the annoying peoples who bring those rules , just peoples and kids who have fun without all those annoying high power rules to peoples who just want to launch small rockets. I make one 2 years ago, it was really fun, beside 2 persons we were all level 3 and 4 launching mid power. Less rules , more funs. It don’t means peoples do what they want, just some supervision, a LCO that’s it. And let the kids press the button.

Discovery did have a few specials covering LDRS with the Mythbusters girl. I only saw the last one and was disappointed. They only covered the oddest of the oddrocs, leading viewers to believe that this is what the hobby is about. Covering some of the contests would have been far better.

Things to remember-

The majority of fliers are not in NAR or TRA. Low power rocketry is HUGE. Not many people get insane about it, but lots of people fly LPR.

MPR is getting bigger, but probably a smaller set of fliers just due to land issues, and most people that serious wind up in a club and going HP

TRA/NAR memberships have a lot of overlap with dual members... so it's hard to figure out exactly how many members there are.

As for costs- running an organization like this isn't cheap, especially in such a niche market, with insurances, it's a good price and likely not too flexible.


I'd love to see a real hobby rocketry TV show, but it'd be pretty hard to do. There's a few youtube videos out there, and I doubt they pull numbers TV would even look at.
The early discovery shows focused on a high speed drag race to 10K if I recall. that was cool.... but they found oddroc's pretty fast and well....yea. That was stupid.
I considered getting some cameras and doing event video for LDRS, but costs would run it at a loss so I bailed on the idea. There is just very little market for it compared to the costs of production.

lcorinth said:

I have thought for some time that rocketry should be on television.

Click to expand...

It has been. Except for the excellent KQED (PBS) specials, it's typically pretty dumbed down and sensational, but that's apparently what sells.

KQED:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rocketry+kqed

Science Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ScienceChannel/search?query=rockets

But, of course, many people have no idea that it even exists.

Click to expand...

Best fixed by local club STEM launches and flyers in any hobby and toy stores that will allow them.

Oh, and recently, at a Barnes & Noble, I noticed a ton of RC aircraft magazines. Nothing on rockets - nothing in bookstores, anyway.

Click to expand...

I've seen them in some Hobbytown USA shops next to the rockets. RC aircraft flying is a broader hobby and you can do it your backyard or even in your home with the smaller stuff. Anything except really low power rockets need more than the typical backyard.

I've got an idea for a Sesame Street short that would endorse reading and rocketry at the same time. Best time to catch kid's minds is when they're young.

Estes may feel rocketry is declining when in fact it's low power rocketry's decline they're feeling.

Everyone pretty much starts out in the LPR arena and them moves up into mid-power and perhaps high power. The new Estes mid-power offerings (rockets AND motors) shows they too are aware of the hobby path. It's also not surprising that their new mid-power rockets are easily adaptable to high power (baby H motors). Capturing some portion of the market, they are says Yoda.

KidRockET said:

They could garner higher membership numbers if they didn't charge $75.00/year...

That is simply too high a price to pay per year...

Flame on boys...

Click to expand...

I hear that!!!
Everytime I'm about to join I always decide it's too expensive and spend my money on more rocket building supplies.

KidRockET said:

They could garner higher membership numbers if they didn't charge $75.00/year...

That is simply too high a price to pay per year...

Flame on boys...

Click to expand...

It is $62.00 per year if you renew yearly. If you renew for three years one gets a small discount of $6.00. See this form for verification.
View attachment membership.pdf

I know the subject of this thread is model rocketry in the United States but we have model rocketry in our elementary schools here in New Brunswick, Canada. My youngest son will be studying the physics of flight as his last "block" before his grade 6 year end and building/flying their own rockets will be a part of it. I believe it's quite common across the country although sometimes even the teachers don't have info to pass on to parents...such as where to purchase rocketry supplies. Is rocketry a part of the curriculum in elementary schools in America? If not, it should be.

Loren said:

Discovery did have a few specials covering LDRS with the Mythbusters girl. I only saw the last one and was disappointed. They only covered the oddest of the oddrocs, leading viewers to believe that this is what the hobby is about. Covering some of the contests would have been far better.

Click to expand...

Sorry the rockets were cool, but Kari Byron is way more exciting to watch.

ballistic_trep said:

I know the subject of this thread is model rocketry in the United States but we have model rocketry in our elementary schools here in New Brunswick, Canada. My youngest son will be studying the physics of flight as his last "block" before his grade 6 year end and building/flying their own rockets will be a part of it. I believe it's quite common across the country although sometimes even the teachers don't have info to pass on to parents...such as where to purchase rocketry supplies. Is rocketry a part of the curriculum in elementary schools in America? If not, it should be.

Click to expand...

Possibly one of the reasons why Canada is rated 7th on this list while we're 14th:

https://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/index/index-ranking/overall-score-highest

Winston said:

Possibly one of the reasons why Canada is rated 7th on this list while we're 14th:

https://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/index/index-ranking/overall-score-highest

Click to expand...

We don’t have rocketry in elementary schools here in the U.S. mainly because of liability issues.
Can you imagine the brouhaha that would ensue should some precious little darling have a Boo-Boo with a model rocket?
The flock of vultu. . .lawyers that would descend on that school would make the End of Days a trivial experience.
Then there’s the all too real possibility that the “Precious Little Darling” is a budding psychopath and we know all too well where that could lead.

Best just too keep them all drugged and happy until they are old enough to be released into the general population.

rcktnut said:

$62.00 - over 26 years old
$25.00- under 26 years old Other cheaper options also. Good Deal!!

Click to expand...

When it becomes "65 and Older, Grandfather Clause", maybe I'll join. :duck:

Area66 said:

We need to make more low and mid power launch without rocket Inspection, and biblical rules and especially the annoying peoples who bring those rules , just peoples and kids who have fun without all those annoying high power rules to peoples who just want to launch small rockets. I make one 2 years ago, it was really fun, beside 2 persons we were all level 3 and 4 launching mid power. Less rules , more funs. It don’t means peoples do what they want, just some supervision, a LCO that’s it. And let the kids press the button.

Click to expand...

Brilliant idea. Slackened attention to safety rules will result in more accidents, more property damage, more personal injuries and eventually deaths. A handful of high-publicity cases of this type (safety regulations ignored, rockets fly into crowds, young kids killed, lawsuits and criminal charges) and you can kiss the hobby goodbye.

Got any more bright ideas, keep 'em to yourself.