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Michael Derderian
Period 6 English 9h
11/19/19

It is Rocket Science!

A saying for when something should not be hard is “it’s not Rocket Science!” Well

rockets are rocket science. However, using model rockets, it is a lot easier to understand the

science and engineering behind it. Model rockets are a great way to understand rocket science

because of how they simplify the chunks.

All rockets need an engine to fly. A knowledge of rocket science is not needed to know

that. These engines are also called motors in the model rocket community. They provide the

propulsion that brings the rocket into the air. According to NASA, they do this by burning and

creating hot expanding gas. To light a motor, a person must put an electrical charge into the

motor. When running, the electricity will generate enough heat to combust the fuel and oxidiser

in the motor. When it lights, the fuel and oxidiser burn at a high enough temperature that they

turn into gas which is a lot less dense than the solid fuel and oxidiser in the rocket. This causes

it to expand greatly out of the nosel, the only place for it to expand. This action causes an equal

and opposite reaction which is represented by Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

This is the same way a regular rocket works. However, real rockets use liquid fuel. This

is important because liquid fuel can be manipulated - turn on and off, burn slower or burn faster

- while solid fuel, once lit, will continue burning at the same rate until it is used up. Solid fuel is

also a lot easier to make and safer to use, however liquid fuel is more efficient than solid fuel for

creating thrust. For these reasons, solid fuel is used for the boosters of the rocket, and liquid

fuel is used for the main engine of a rocket. Control is not needed for model rocketry and you

don’t want kids blowing themselves up when trying out the hobby so solid fuel is used.
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Aerodynamics is a big part of rocketry. The two main components of rockets that help

aerodynamics are the fins and nose cone. The fins actually work by causing drag. The fins are

on the bottom of the rocket to create drag on the bottom. This prevents the rocket from flipping

over and shooting towards the ground. Fins also help by moving the center of gravity to the

bottom of the rocket which will also add stability. This is only effective on smaller rockets

however. The bigger rockets, like the Saturn V, are so massive and heavy fins would not create

a difference in their stability and therefore are not used.

The nose cone works as you would expect, by reducing drag. The design of the nose

cone changes as the expected speed of the rocket goes up. The faster the rocket, the pointer

the ideal nose cone will be. This works because of how air works. When just pushing on air

directly, it will push back. This is also Newton’s Third Law of Motion. With the nose cone, the air

is pushed to the side and has a harder time pushing down on the rocket. The nose cone also

regulates the air. When randomly pushing on air, the air can have faster lanes and slower lanes.

Without a nose cone these are mixed together creating pockets that cause the rocket to be

unstable. A nose cone prevents this by creating laminar flow which makes it harder for these

pockets of air with different speeds to mix.

Recovery of a Rocket is also a big deal, you don’t want it to break after one mission.

Most model rockets use a simple recovery system. There is just a parachute or, with smaller

rockets, a streamer to recover. There is also protective wadding to protect it from the hot gases

of the motor. The motor generates gases to eject the parachute too after it is done burning and

coasting. When the parachute is pushed out, it is attached to the nose cone and the body tube

of the rocket to gently bring it back to earth.

Model rockets don’t need to deal with a lot of forces regular rockets need to deal with on

reentry to earth. When rockets come out of orbit, they need to slow down. This is because of the
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way orbit works. In orbit, an object is constantly moving towards Earth. The reason it doesn’t

crash into the Earth is because it is also moving at a very fast speed. This makes it constantly

fall toward the Earth and constantly miss it which makes it go around. When an object slows

down, it can no longer miss the Earth and will crash into it. This means that rockets going to at

least orbit need to conserve fuel to use to slow down.

The rocket, which is now just the landing module, is now falling down to Earth, but it

needs to protect itself. Earth’s atmosphere is thick and moving at the speed the rocket is going,

there is going to be a lot of drag. So much drag that it can cause the rocket to combust due to

the high friction between the air molecules and the rocket. To prevent this, the module will need

heat shields. According to Cosmos, a science newsite, heat shields work by covering the

module with compounds that, when superheated, burn off which dissipate heat. The burning off

also creates a gas barrier which further insulate the module. Finally, after safe reentry, the

module releases a parachute. This allows the module to slowly fall back to earth where the

astronauts can get out and and return home.

Rockets also carry a payload. Not all model rockets do though, just the big ones. In

model rockets, the payload can consist of electronics that give data of the flight - altitude,

acceleration, speed, ect. - or something that is supposed to be preserved - an egg or organism.

Vertebrates are not allowed to be a payload. Rockets that go to space carry a more expensive

payload. This consists of Astronauts, Rovers, Satitlits, etc.

It is a good idea to use Model Rockets for simplifying Rocket Science. They simplify the

complicated ideas while still getting the main point across. They are also a fun way to

demonstrate Rocket Science. The best part is all the Rocket Science puns you will hear from

everyone else.
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Rough Estimate of Expenses of Model Rocketry

Everyone likes a good hobby. Model rocketry is a great hobby. It is fun and has many

branches to explore. It can give a lifetime of fun. However, like all hobbies, model rocketry costs

money.

There are many different categories of model rockets. The types of power in rockets are

low power rockets, mid power rockets, high powered rockets. There are also rockets that use

multiple motors at once. These are cluster rockets and multistage rockets. This will affect the

cost of firing the rocket.

Model rockets are reusable. That means that you are not paying for it on every flight day.

However, the motors are not reusable. The need to be reloaded for every flight. For simplicity’s

sake, a model rocket will be flown four times in a given flight day. Ones that use more than one

motor will be fired less accordingly to keep it to four motors a day due to the longer preparation

time. There is one flight day per month and one every year.

To launch a model rocket, there are some restrictions that must be followed. These rules

can be found on the National Association of Rocketry or NAR’s website. You can either join an

organization that does this for you or do it yourself. If you join an organization, they usually

require a fee. This is about sixty dollars per year. If you launch it on your own, however, you will

need to buy all the equipment. This will cost three dollars to four hundred dollars depending on

the launch rod size. As the launch lug size differs for each rocket a new one will need to be

bought for each type, you can use them forever though. Also for high power rocketry, you need

to join NAR or Tripoli, another rocketry organization which will also cost a fee This costs around

twenty to sixty dollars depending on age. Nar also allows a one time fee for a year long

membership of one thousand dollars.

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Low power rockets cost around eight to ten dollars each. Mid power rockets cost around

nineteen to twenty-seven dollars each. High power rockets cost thirty to two-hundred fifty

dollars. For simplicity's sake, a model rocket is flown four times in a flight day. That means that

flying a lower power rocket will cost thirty-six dollars. The Mid power rockets can cost 85 dollars.

A high power rocket will cost 120 to 250 dollars. It isn’t more because higher power rockets take

longer to prepare.

To fly a rocket, a rocket will be needed. Like motors, rockets vary in cost by a great

margin. They can cost as low as five dollars, and cost as much as thousands of dollars. The

price rises exponentially. When starting out, people buy five to twenty dollar rockets, which will

be considered fifteen dollars. Then move on to rockets that cost around thirty dollars. Then to

sixty dollars, then a hundred dollars, then two hundred fifty dollars. Finally there are the big boy

thousand dollar rockets. Let's call these levels. Also, since they are reusable, the cost will cut

the cost in half. Level one costs seven dollars and fifty cents. Level two cost around fifteen

dollars. Level three will cost around thirty dollars, level four will cost around fifty dollars, and

level five will cost around a hundred dollars. Level six will be five hundred dollars.

No one is the same. Everyone buys different amounts of rockets if they are in the hobby.

Luckily, however, most things go hand and hand. For example, no one will buy only low power

motors to fly a thousand dollar rocket.

The lowest cost will of course be low power rockets. Level one rockets cost seven point

five dollars. The motors cost thirty-six dollars. The equipment will cost twenty six dollars for the

launch pad if dividing for a year that is two point seventeen dollars a month. The launch control

system will cost fifty dollars dividing for a year will cost four point seventeen dollars a month.

Instead of equipment, a membership can be bought for sixty dollars a year or five dollars a
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month. This adds up to 48.5 dollars a year with a club membership or 49.84 with your own

equipment. This does not include gas money.

The next cost will be mid power rockets. A level two rocket will cost fifteen dollars. A mid

power rocket actually still uses low power motors, and there are about the same cost, thirty-six

dollars. The launch control system will be the same price - four point seventeen dollars a month

- and so will the membership - five dollars a month. The launch pad will cost fifty five dollars and

sixty three cents, or about four point six five dollars a month if one is bought per year. The total

is 56 dollars per month or, equipment can be bought for 59.82 dollars.

High power rockets add new expenses as the NAR membership to have certification.

This membership will cost twenty dollars a year or one dollar and sixty seven cents a month.

Level three rockets will cost sixty dollars a month. The motor for high power is one hundred fifty

dollars. The membership is again five dollars a month and the launch control system is again

four point seven dollars a month. The launch pad will cost one hundred eight two dollars and

forty three cents or about fifteen dollars and twenty cents a month. This is a total of 216.67

dollars with a membership. Using your own equipment will cost 231.57 dollars.