University Rocket Club Test Site Location Ideas

I've been in a Texas university rocket club for a couple years now and have wanted to actually test solid/hybrid rocket motor performance and perhaps eventually develop our own motors after learning how to test the motors safely. This isn't a post asking how to make motors or anything right now, but I am interested in any stories about university rocket clubs obtaining a test site for development. We can't test on campus because it's heavily populated and we don't have the facilities for it (or the faculty that will allow us to make one ourselves), so instead we want to create our own test stand off campus. The main issue that I'm predicting will stop us are the liability issues of having a rocket test site on other people's land.

Here's some ideas that we have so far:
- Ask farmers for a spot on their land (pay rent for it)
- Build a relationship with a close by rural high school and make it about community involvement
- Actually buy land (lots of legal issues and we probably don't have the money for it)
- Ask local Tripoli members whether we could assist them in making their own test stand for their and our use
- Find low traffic places like small airports or quarries that might allow us to have our own installation (kind of like Boston University)

If any of you could contribute to this list with some of your own stories or tell us why one of these ideas wouldn't work it would be very helpful!

I would say contact the local Tripoli club and find someone there that is willing to be your mentor.

Tripoli Houston often has university groups come to launches - most recently being yesterday with A&M testing hybrid motors.

If your club intends to work on research rocketry, "actually test solid/hybrid rocket motor performance", your only safe option is to affiliate with a local Tripoli Prefect.
Of the two national rocketry associations, Tripoli (TRA) and the National Rocketry Association (NAR), Tripoli is the only one that sanctions Research flights.

I'm very sure the local Prefect or TAP will gladly mentor your program. The benefits are not only having access to some experienced high power racketeers but also the
liability insurance protection of being a Tripoli member and FAA Flight Waivers.

Both the University of Florida and the University of South Florida, are mentored and do research flights with our Tampa Prefect, it's the way to go.

Good luck organizing your club...this link to Tripoli will give you more information about Research Rocketry

https://www.tripoli.org/

sparksrockets said:

I've been in a Texas university rocket club

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Texas is kind of big and there are lots of universities so it probably would have helped if you narrowed it down a bit more.

Go to a Texas Tripoli place, they do some real crazy sh*t there.

Thanks, I'm already level 2 in Tripoli, but I'll definitely look into actually getting a prefect to mentor our club though since we've never thought of that. I was really interested in how other clubs actually got a small test facility. I really want to get to the point that we could lay concrete down and make a permanent test stand for various rockets. Having a test trailer to go to launches with would be nice as well, but that would be dependent on whether someone had a truck to pull it. It might also limit how large of a motor we could test, but that shouldn't be a problem for a while. Do the florida universities have a similar set up?

No, Tampa TRA launches from a privately owned 1,500 acre cattle ranch. All the static test stands, launch rails and towers are portable and stored off site after each monthly launch.

The local University that I work with was able (after much work) to secure a spot at a campus owned facility that is remote from the main campus. They had to contact that facility operator as well as environmental control and give a short presentation. After they got the go ahead from the University they went to the local fire department. They were easy to convince and show up at all the test firings willingly. It took about 9 months but they now have a great relationship and can test motors on about a weeks time notice.

Edward

sparksrockets said:

I've been in a Texas university rocket club

Click to expand...

If you're at UT you might want to check with these guys as they have a test site near Briggs, about 40 miles northwest of Austin:

https://www.fireflyspace.com

Come down to Hearne, TX. Tripoli Houston launches every second Saturday.