NAR/TRA Certification Rocket

The Project

The National Association of Rocketry and Tripoli Rocketry Association are the two main governing national organizations for hobby rocketry in the United States. A Level 1 High Power Certification is required to purchase and fly rocket motors with 160-640 N-s of impulse, a Level 2 High Power Certification is required to purchase and fly rocket motors with 640-5,120 N-s of impulse, and a Level 3 Certification is required to purchase and fly rocket motors with 5,120-40,960 N-s of impulse. In order to get a Level 1 certification, the candidate must independently build a high power rocket and fly it with a motor that has an impulse of 160-640 N-s. To get a Level 2 certification, the candidate must pass a written technical and safety exam, and independently build and fly a high power rocket and fly it with a motor that has an impulse of 640-5,120 N-s.

My Work

I wanted to get my certifications to be able to work on bigger projects and get more involved in the hobby rocketry community. I had already designed, built, and flown dozens of rockets through The American Rocketry Challenge, so I wanted to deepen my knowledge by building bigger rockets that could withstand higher and faster flights. I built my rocket in time for a social launch in Mojave, California, and was able to get L1 certified in October 2023. Almost 2 years later, I added a fiberglass layup to my fins, passed the written exam, and flew and safely recovered the same rocket (with a new paint job) to get my L2! I'm excited to use this certification to work on even cooler independent projects, including a two-stage rocket that I'm currently working on.