Goal
Earn NAR Level 1 by designing, building, and safely flying a high-power rocket from concept → simulation → fabrication → launch, then validating predicted vs. actual performance.
Requirements / Constraints
NAR Level 1 compliance and range safety standards
Stable flight with reliable recovery deployment
Target apogee ≈ 1,000 ft within field/safety constraints
Motor: H210R
Vehicle scale: ~4.5 ft length, ~7 in diameter
Design Overview
Modeled the rocket in CAD and finalized the airframe + fin can geometry around the H210R motor, avionics bay, and recovery bay packaging
Sized and positioned fin geometry to maintain a stable CG/CP separation through boost and coast
Designed the recovery system (parachute, shock cord, attachment points) for consistent deployment and survivable landing loads
Analysis / Simulation
Ran flight simulations to estimate apogee and verify stability across the motor burn profile
Used basic aerodynamic/trajectory checks to refine nose cone and fin geometry, reducing drag and improving stability margin prior to fabrication
Build & Integration
Assembled airframe, integrated avionics and recovery hardware, and verified retention/access for arming
Executed a structured pre-flight process: CG verification, recovery packing checks, and continuity checks
Results / Validation
Predicted apogee: ~1,000 ft
Actual apogee: ~1,200 ft (~20% higher than prediction)
Performed post-flight review to reconcile prediction error and improve future modeling assumptions (mass properties, drag estimates, wind/launch angle effects)