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Many, many years ago (1990s?) at a launch, someone was bragging about having 44 pounds of lead in their nosecone for stability. Just like bowling balls, I thought that would make a nice kinetic energy weapon if deployment failed...got to be something safer. So I worked on safe ballast...

Most amateurs plan their rocket launch on a predetermined day far in advance of the launch date. We've launched HABs (high altitude balloons) to over 100,000' many times in different weather (wind) conditions usually with students picking the date in advance rather than going when wind...

Something to ponder: How long will a satellite stay in orbit at 100 km (Karman Line)? If your rocket goes to 99.9 km does that mean you have not made 'space'? Even von Karman thought space starts lower than 100 km. Neil Armstrong flew the X-15 to ~207,00' and needed reaction control rockets to...

Launched last year at FAR:

Cost to launch to space at FAR is $10 on 'FAR' 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month. That includes the launch pads (20, 50, or 60' available) machine shop use, flush toilets, etc.

Hmmmm, except for the nosecone (I hate making nosecones) I could make a 4" clone with electronic apogee deploy, parachute, and J-impulse motor reload for under $25. Not sure what Sticker Shock would charge for the graphics though I've seen others use a different paint scheme. I'd have to run a...

and just feet away, 'younger students' from a Scout troop were launching their first Estes rockets. using 3, 4, and 5 fin versions of the Estes Viking model rocket. Big or small we launch them all.

I love working with students. This weekend at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry facility, FAR, the UC Berkeley SEB team successfully completed the Lander Challenge TVC Hotfire milestone and were awarded $15,000.

https://landerchallenge.space/

I thought Alex launched his R-10,000 hybrid to something like 140,000' ? That's a class 3. Rick

Super lube is my go to for O-rings and threads but if i don't have any handy almost any grease or lube works and better than no lube especially on threaded closures.

I just returned today from launching four rockets I built for 'The Spaceport Company' to do a first test launch in the Gulf of Mexico using a liftboat with the ability to lift itself out of the water on three tubes that sit on the sea bed...the water was shallow at this location...

Different people handle the heat differently. I was the training officer on the sheriff's Barstow Desert Rescue Squad and got to rescue a few and recover a few that didn't make it. Make sure you keep your body covered with light colored loose fitting clothing. Many on the rescue team liked...

I fell in love with rocketry in 1959 when they rolled out the X-15, age 7 and we had the school library World Book Encyclopedia as our internet. We survived those times making our own motors in spite of having no mentors, NAR, or Tripoli. I wish we had because at one point in time my friends and...

This year's Christmas tree launch at FAR by Xyla and friends

I'm always amazed when people talk about not using a particular rocket formula because of a safety issue. Every rocket propellant needs to be treated with respect. Some people think 'sugar' propellants are dangerous and blow up but I can make hundreds of them in many different sizes (A-S...

Yes, I should have said you get lavendar with KNO3 sugar, yellow with NaNO3, red, with SrNO3 sugar, etc.

That would be the easy way to make them but the motor would be progressive. But to keep the burn somewhat neutral here is an example of a two-grain motor.

One of my 'fantasy' motors is the sugar ZnS combo. Inexpensive Sugar motors have lots of tracking smoke but no flame and zinc sulfur rockets have such an awesome flame at liftoff I tried once to have a motor with a ZnS-filled core for flame with sugar surrounding it to provide the...