Going to Join the NAR...

It's hard to believe June is already upon us, but it's going to be an excellent summer for rocketry. I can just feel it.

To fly some of my larger project this summer, I've got a bit of a problem. There's no way to get HPR motors until you're 18... unless you join the NAR.

The NAR has a special program for kids wanting to get a head start in high-power rocketry. With limited provisions and close adult supervision you can get level 1 certified before you turn 18. With a level 1 certification you can fly H and I motors (an I motor has as much impulse as four G motors). So it's my goal to get my Junior Level 1 certification before the end of the summer!

Largest Amateur Rocket in MN!

I just happened to turn on my computer and check my email for the first time in six days yesterday, and got the news that Tripoli MN was going to have a research launch that same afternoon. The plan was to launch Big Yeller, a twenty foot tall rocket weighing 180 lbs, the largest amateur rocket flown in Minnesota! Of course I couldn't miss this event.


Above, the team is arming the altimeters just before launch.




A lot of people rushed off after the launch, but I came down to help recover the rocket. They were glad of an extra hand, because it was a bulky thing to lug around in the cornfield.

I took a picture of the aft rail button (the part that holds the rocket on the pad). It sustained some damage that looked like it had gotten stuck on the launch pad. Apparently this drag at liftoff nearly halved the altitude.

Compressibile Aerodynamics

I've decided to start a summer-long study of compressible aerodynamics, that is, the compressible nature of a gas at speeds above Mach. It ties in very well with my supersonic projects. I'm going to try starting my investigation using the NASA guided tours. It is my hope to actually conduct scientific research in this subject this summer.

It's a fascinating subject because at high speed regimes, there can actually be a chemical change in the composition of the air. At supersonic speeds, the density of the air changes drastically, and it is usually visible:

4th Time's the Charm!

On Saturday I had the privilege of attending a high-power rocket launch in North Branch, Minnesota. I launched Exporter 2000 with my new onboard video system, and for the first time ever I have video from this rocket! I'm pretty pleased with the results, but the wind was kind of high (~10 mph) and there was a lot of spin on the ascent.

There were quite a few other launches, but it was slightly overcast so no one wanted to go too high.

1:10 Scale Saturn V Rocket

I heard about this a little late, but apparently it set a record for size:

Do Hard Things

Here is a quote from Calvin Coolidge:

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“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

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Now here is a quote from Alex and Brett Harris, founders of "The Rebelution:"

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"Do Hard Things."

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It is simply the only way to aspire to be a rocket scientist, aiming high, and raising the bar. Most of my peers (it seems) are content to just get by. This kind of scares me. It doesn't seem like my generation is ready or willing to shoulder the responsibility of running the world, and whether they're ready or not, they'll be called on to lead it.

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However, I don't want to make too broad a generalization. Teens are very capable of "doing hard things," as they have shown throughout history. George Washington was one of the dumbest kids in his class, but by persistence and determination he applied himself in his studies and became official surveyor, general of the army, and ultimately the leader of this country. I just hope that more and more of my generation will latch onto this vision.

Onboard Video!

You can almost see my house from this shot.