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Fiberglass High-Power Rocket
Project Type
Personal
Date
July 2025
Objective & Scope
I wanted to gain hands-on experience in rocketry and independently pursued a Level 1 High-Power Rocketry Certification. The goal was to build, simulate, and safely launch a high-power rocket while developing practical aerospace skills in simulation, composites, and safety compliance.
Approach
- Build: Constructed the rocket by assembling the fin can with epoxy, fiberglassing the fins and body tube to increase structural strength, and rigging the parachute system for reliable recovery.
- Simulation: Simulated the rocket in OpenRocket to predict an apogee of ~490 m, determine the optimal motor delay of 8.68 seconds, and confirm that the center of gravity is at least one body diameter ahead of the center of pressure for the rocket’s stability.
- Preparation: installed an H219-14 motor, drilled the delay grain to match simulations, and conducted a full pre-flight check in compliance with CAR-ACF safety standards.
Outcome
- Launched and recovered the rocket with no damage, leaving it in re-flyable condition and successfully earning Level 1 Certification.
- Applied OpenRocket simulations throughout the project to guide motor selection, delay timing, and stability checks.
- Gained hands-on experience in trajectory simulation, composite layups, flight preparation, and safety-critical engineering practices.
🎥 Project Video
