Amateur Experimental Rocketry is, in my humble opinion, one of the most challenging, exciting and educational hobbies. Unlike Model Rocketry or High Power Rocketry, experimental rocketry is an activity whereby rockets are designed and constructed entirely from "scratch". Most components -- including motor and propellant-- are self-made. The goal of Amateur Experimental Rocketry (AER), often referred to as Amateur Rocketry, Experimental Rocketry or Research Rocketry, is to design, build, test and launch rockets. In this context, rocket may refer to the motor itself, or to a complete vehicle that consists of motor, fuselage (and stabilizing devices such as fins), nosecone, and payload. One of the greatest challenges is to develop and build such a motor, one that is safe to produce and operate, reliable, and one that provides predictable and consistent performance. A second big challenge is to develop a recovery system, such as parachute deployment, that operates with a high degree of reliability under the demanding conditions of launch followed by high speed or high altitude flight. Striving to achieve these goals (and many others) and to overcome the inevitable obstacles, is what makes this such a challenging (and at times frustrating) and educational pastime, and one that requires diversified skills combined with a good dose of ingenuity. The outcome of all this, more often than not, is that one learns to genuinely comprehend that which is colloquially known as Rocket Science.

It might be said, then, that Model Rocketry and High Power Rocketry are best suited to those who wish to make and fly rockets, and Experimental Rocketry is perhaps best suited to those who rather wish to make rockets fly!

On a somewhat different note, now that I am retired, I plan to have more time to work on updating/expanding my website...completing my "Rocket Design" pages, updating my static testing page with more ideas, presenting my latest experimental work on APCP propellants, and presenting results of my extensive testing of various thermal liner materials and the related topic of using such materials for producing robust propellant casting tubes.

August 1, 2025-- Recently I test-fired my KNSB-powered M-Class Muon rocket motor for the third time. Although the first two firings were successful, on both occasions a quirky computer-related glitch prevented data collection. For this third test, improvements were made to eliminate such problems, and both the test-firing and the collection of thrust and chamber pressure data were successful. I was most pleased with the thrust/pressure curves, which matched design predictions nicely. Next year I plan to fire this motor for the fourth time, utilizing KNDX propellant. Eventually I will document both the Muon motor design and the test results in a future web page.

April 5, 2024-- Fellow EX rocketry enthusiast Steve Peterson has written a compelling article on end-burning rockets. An end-burning rocket (formerly referred to as cigarette burning) has the distinct feature of burning solely at the end of the propellant grain, unlike typical rocket motors that burn radially. The result is a long burn time combined with relatively low thrust. What I found fascinating about the article is that Steve demonstrates that use of an end-burning rocket is a much more efficient means of attempting to achieve very high altitudes, compared to typical rockets. Definite food for thought.
Some Thoughts On End-Burning Amateur Rockets