I am interested in what criteria you folks use when choosing a potential new launch site?
I am an Aerospace Engineering student in San Diego, and am looking to launch an EX rocket this summer of my own design using commercially produced motor hardware. To keep the project within a manageable scope, I will be machining a cylinder of commercially produced APCP propellant using low speed equipment for the fuel grains. The motor is projected to have a total impulse of ~550 Ns. Projected launch height is ~8,500 ft.
However, launching EX rockets in California requires a Level 2 Pyrotechics Handling License, which is prohibitively difficult to obtain for a project of this scope, and I don't think this project would be appropriate for launch with the local club (which has pyrotechnics handlers in its ranks).
So, we are looking to identify an appropriate launch location on BLM land in rural Arizona. I have found several promising locations near Quarzsite that 2500' from roads with minimal vegetation. We are considering a scouting trip this week to examine possible locations in person prior to filing for a waiver. So, I would like to hear in more detail what you look for when considering a location. My understanding is that a "road" is any byway that receives 10 cars or more per hour unrelated to launch operations. How is that determined? Traffic at time of launch, peak traffic during the day, or something else? I am also seeking more information on the definition of an "occupied building". One of the possible launch zones has what appears in satellite photos to be an aluminum outbuilding that measures 1.5x1.5 meters. If it is something like a storage shed, do I still need to give it the full clearance? Are there any other steps besides FAA clearance needed to launch high power rockets on BLM land?
Thank you for the assistance.
I am an Aerospace Engineering student in San Diego, and am looking to launch an EX rocket this summer of my own design using commercially produced motor hardware. To keep the project within a manageable scope, I will be machining a cylinder of commercially produced APCP propellant using low speed equipment for the fuel grains. The motor is projected to have a total impulse of ~550 Ns. Projected launch height is ~8,500 ft.
However, launching EX rockets in California requires a Level 2 Pyrotechics Handling License, which is prohibitively difficult to obtain for a project of this scope, and I don't think this project would be appropriate for launch with the local club (which has pyrotechnics handlers in its ranks).
So, we are looking to identify an appropriate launch location on BLM land in rural Arizona. I have found several promising locations near Quarzsite that 2500' from roads with minimal vegetation. We are considering a scouting trip this week to examine possible locations in person prior to filing for a waiver. So, I would like to hear in more detail what you look for when considering a location. My understanding is that a "road" is any byway that receives 10 cars or more per hour unrelated to launch operations. How is that determined? Traffic at time of launch, peak traffic during the day, or something else? I am also seeking more information on the definition of an "occupied building". One of the possible launch zones has what appears in satellite photos to be an aluminum outbuilding that measures 1.5x1.5 meters. If it is something like a storage shed, do I still need to give it the full clearance? Are there any other steps besides FAA clearance needed to launch high power rockets on BLM land?
Thank you for the assistance.
