The National Association of Rocketry is an organization that oversees and governs amateur rocketry. Across the country, chapters of the NAR host launches which provide rocketeers a coordinated and safe opportunity to launch their rockets. The NAR also regulates the purchase of high power motors through a certification process.
Ferris II
My first flight on 5/10/25, shown below, reached 1246 feet using an H143 motor. This was my first attempt at the NAR L1 certification. Unfortunately the shock cord was singed by the ejection charge so it split during separation, causing the payload tube and body tube to land separately. The parachute stayed with the payload ensuring a soft landing, but the body tube and fins had a dramatic descent. Miraculously, they showed no damage upon recovery. Still, better recovery protection would be needed for my next flight.
I had custom designed and 3D printed a camera mount for the onboard video shown above. This avionics bay also held the Jolly Logic Altimeter 2 that recorded telemetry data. The assembly is built around a 2″ tall and 1/8″ thick tube of clear acrylic plastic that covers the view port of the camera. The top and bottom cap are held together with three screws drilled into the vertical struts. Six bolts mounted through the acrylic then secure the assembly into the body tube.
On 7/12/25 I successfully completed my second attempt at the NAR L1 Certification. The only change to the rocket was using a Kevlar shock cord with a shock cord protector. It was a clean flight to 1373 feet on an H100 motor. Unfortunately the rocket waited a while on the pad so the onboard camera ran out of battery before the launch itself. Here is the video of take-off I recorded on my phone.
Ferris I (launched 2/24/24)
At university, I am a member of our rocketry team. During my first semester with the team, I joined the HPR division, which builds and launches level 1 high powered rockets. That semester we used LOC IV kits and G class motors. Working in groups of three, we each assembled the rocket and then simulated the launch using OpenRocket in order to estimate the timing of parachute deployment. We captured the onboard launch videos with a small action camera.