Project Overview:

• Rocket Diameter / Length:  4" / 72"

• Max Speed:  Mach 1.6

• Max Altitude:  16,500ft.

• SRM Class: M1500 and M2050

• Recovery Status:  Nominally Recovered

• Launch Dates:  Sep. 22, 2023 / Apr. 27, 2024

• Special Thanks:  Bob Heninger, Scott Hertel, and Robin Meredith (L3 Technical Advisory Panel)

Just 8 months after my Level 1 high-power rocketry certification, I flew "Rice Fueled Rage Machine" to 16,500ft. and attained my Level 3 certification at Black Rock Desert, NV, on an Aerotech M2050X.  This 4" diameter, 72" tall rocket was made to be extremely simple and robust for the certification flight, prioritizing recovery reliability, structural margins, and ease of build, over hard performance targets.  The entire airframe was made of COTS fiberglass components, and assembled using high-strength structural adhesives.  The recovery and avionics suite included a 24" drogue parachute, 48" high Cd main parachute, a GPS tracker, and dual redundant flight computers. 

This rocket was flown twice, with the second being at my local site, Tripoli Phoenix, on an experimental M1500, with very similar impulse to the M2050.  Both flights performed within 3% of simulated altitude.