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Project Background:
Project Background:
In 2024, I decided that it was reasonable to set an unreasonable goal: Mach 5. I have subsequently spent far, far too many of my free hours on this goal, and have undergone revisions of the technology necessary to pull it off. This elusive number remains my biggest amateur rocketry goal, until the proof is on my wall.
In September of 2024, I gave my first attempt at this goal. This was a carbon fiber case Loki Research M1378LR, a modification on one of the meanest commercial rocket motors ever made. The simulations of the rocket indicated a maximum speed of ~Mach 5.2, and an apogee of 70-90,000 feet, on a single-stage 2" design. This rocket, which was about as much "all motor" as you can get, made its way off the Black Rock playa, up to Mach 3.6, before undergoing a violent structural failure, caused by an aeroelastic fin failure. Overall, lots of incredibly valuable lessons were learned from this rocket, and the video of the rocket lifting off is one of the most incredible I've seen.
In February of 2025, a separate development rocket was launched. This was similary a rocket with a carbon fiber case, but with a thicker wall, and thicker aerostructures in the failure points that were observed. Additionally, experimental APCP was used in the design, developed and manufactured by myself for this rocket. Although much tamer and shorter than the former, this rocket lept off the pad at 70G, reached Mach 3.3, and flew to ~20,000ft, collecting valuable data for CFRP-case subminimum-diameter rockets.
BALLS 2025, at Black Rock, NV, is to see the second attempt at Mach 5. This design is an upscale of the February rocket, up to a 3" diameter, and simulates to similar performance parameters as the September rocket, narrowly eclipsing Mach 5, if all goes well.
"Black Stallion" - M1378 COPV
"Black Stallion" - M1378 COPV
Rocket Diameter / Length: 54mm / 60"
Max Speed: Mach 3.6 / 2700mph (Designed for >Mach 5)
Acceleration: 80G
SRM Class: M1378
Recovery Status: Shredded
Launch Date: Sep. 21, 2024
Special Thanks: Scott Kormeier of Loki Research
"Black Stallion" was designed to be one of the wildest, most bonkers amateur rockets ever built. Inside it is 42" of red-flame APCP from Loki Research, a GPS tracker, a flight computer, a recovery system, and just enough hardware to house all of it. The motor itself contained a propellant mass fraction of 73%, with the rocket as a whole having a mass fraction of >60% propellant, a number hit normally by extremely large rockets. This is due to its carbon fiber motor casing, a 5-ply hand layup, designed to withstand the 1500psi startup pressure of the M1378. Bonded to the motor case are 4 carbon fiber 4mm fins, a nozzle, and a forward closure, which houses recovery gear. At the top of the rocket is a nose cone and avionics bay, housing a full recovery deployment, tracking, and instrumentation suite from Featherweight Altimeters. All structural bonds were done using InfinityBond EP420NS epoxy, and all composite layups were manufactured using Soller Composites fabric and Aeropoxy PR2032 epoxy.
Upon launch, to the surprise of many onlookers, the rocket cleared the pad. Not only did it clear the pad, but it lept off the pad at 80G, and accelerated to Mach 3.6 in 2 seconds. At this speed, an aeroelastic failure of the fins most likely caused an unstable flight, which led to further structural failure of the CFRP casing. This was a bittersweet failure, as it both gave incredibly valuable data, both quantitative and qualitative, but also validated the case's performance with 1500psi combustion gases contained inside. This failure gave a treasure trove of lessons to the amateur rocketry community attempting similar flights, and the lessons are incorporated into every new design that I develop.
Photos: Julian Rice and Andrew Bean
"Pink Unicorn Pony Princess" - L1300 COPV
"Pink Unicorn Pony Princess" - L1300 COPV
Rocket Diameter / Length: 54mm / 42"
Max Speed: Mach 3.3 / 2500mph
Acceleration: 70G
SRM Class: L1300
Recovery Status: Nominal Recovery
Launch Date: Feb. 15, 2025
Special Thanks: Caroline Winakur of Duke University
This posthumously named rocket was special for a number of reasons. First, it is a developmental successor to Black Stallion. Second, it is the first flight of the propellant that myself and my team at ASU developed. Lastly, the entire rocket was built, launched, and recovered, in under 48 hours by Caroline Winakur and myself.
This rocket shares most design elements with Black Stallion, but trades an all-carbon-sleeve casing for one containing a layer of 6K twill weave. Additionally, the nose cone is ogive instead of conical for better packing efficiency, and the fin material was made in-house with Intermediate Modulus fiber, rather than the standard COTS plate used for Black Stallion. Recovery and avionics are largely shared between the two rockets, as are general construction methods. The motor contains a single monolithic propellant grain with a star->cylindrical->conical geometry.
The rocket was built and launched on the weekend of Feb. 15. Upon launching, the rocket accelerated to Mach 3.3 in 2.5 seconds, and flew to 19,600ft. This low apogee was due to sustained aerothermal damage, as well as a poor surface finish to begin with due to the extremely abbreviated build time.
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