National Association of Rocketry
SPORT ROCKETRY: AMERICA'S SAFE, EDUCATIONAL AEROSPACE HOBBY
"The Basics of Rocketry" "NAR Safety Code"
WHAT IS SPORT ROCKETRY?
Sport rocketry is aerospace engineering in miniature. This
popular hobby and educational tool was founded in 1957 to
provide a safe and inexpensive way for young people to learn the
principles of rocket flight. It has grown since then to a
worldwide hobby with over 5 million flights per year, used in
25,000 schools around the U.S.. Its safety record is
extraordinarily good, especially compared to most other outdoor
activities. It is recognized and permitted under Federal and all
50 states' laws and regulations, and it's safe, and inexpensive
products are available in toy and hobby stores nationwide. Sport
rocketry has inspired two generations of America's young people
to pursue careers in technology.
WHAT IS A SPORT ROCKET?
A sport rocket is a reusable, lightweight, non-metallic flight
vehicle that is propelled vertically by an electrically-ignited,
commercially-made, nationally-certified, and non-explosive solid
fuel rocket motor. For safety reasons no rocket hobbyist is ever
required or allowed to mix or load chemicals or raw propellant;
all sport rocket motors are bought pre-made. Sport rockets are
always designed and built to be returned safely and gently to the
ground with a recovery system such as a parachute. They are
always designed to be recovered and flown many times, with the
motor being replaced between flights. Sport rockets come in two
size classes: MODEL rockets, which are under one pound in
weight (3.3 pounds under some conditions), have less than 4.4
ounces of propellant, and are generally available to consumers of
all ages; and HIGH-POWER rockets, which are larger, use
motors larger than "G" power, and are available only to adults.
ARE THESE ROCKETS LEGAL?
Model rockets are legal under the laws and regulations of all 50
states and the Federal government, although some local
jurisdictions may have ordinances restricting their use. Model
rockets are regulated by the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) Code 1122, which is adopted as law in most states. They
are specifically exempted from Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) air traffic control by Part 101.1 of Federal Aviation
Regulations (14 CFR 101.1) and may be flown anywhere without
FAA clearance. They are permitted for sale to children by the
Consumer Product Safety Commission under their regulations
(16 CFR 1500.85 (a) (8)). They are permitted for shipping (with
appropriate packaging and labeling) by the Department of
Transportation and U.S. Postal Service. They are not subject to
regulation or user licensing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms (BATF). They are endorsed and used by the Boy
Scouts, 4-H Clubs, the Civil Air Patrol, and NASA.
High power rockets are regulated under NFPA Code 1127.
Because of their size and power they are not available to people
younger than age 18. Their flights are subject to FAA air traffic
regulations, and purchase of the larger motors for these rockets
generally requires user certification by a national rocketry
organization, plus BATF licensing in some cases. Despite these
greater legal restrictions, high power rockets are also very
popular. They also have an outstanding safety record.
IS THIS HOBBY SAFE?
In well over 250 million flights since the founding of the hobby,
there has never been a death caused by the flight of a sport
rocket. Injuries are rare and generally minor. They are almost
always the result of failure to follow the basic safety precautions
and instructions provided by the manufacturers. Sport rocketry's
record shows that it is safer than almost any sport or other
outdoor physical activity. The hobby operates under the simple
and easy-to-follow Model Rocket and High-Power Rocket Safety
Codes of the National Association of Rocketry, which have been
fine-tuned by professional engineers and public safety officials
over the past 40+ years to maximize user and spectator safety.
The foundations of these Safety Codes are that sport rockets must
be electrically ignited from a safe distance with advance warning
to all those nearby, must have recovery systems, must be flown
vertically in a suitably-sized field with no aircraft in the vicinity,
and must never be aimed at a target or used to carry a pyrotechnic
payload. All sport rocket motors are subjected to extensive
safety and reliability certification testing to strict NFPA standards
by the National Association of Rocketry or other national
organizations before they are allowed to be sold in the U.S..
AREN'T THESE ROCKETS FIREWORKS?
All Federal and state legal codes recognize sport rockets as
different from fireworks. Fireworks are single-use recreational
products designed solely to produce noise, smoke, or visual
effect. They have few of the designed-in safety features or preconsumer
national safety testing of a reusable sport rocket, and
none of the sport rocketŐs educational value. Fireworks are fuselit,
an inherently dangerous ignition method that is specifically
forbidden in the hobby of sport rocketry. Sport rockets are
prohibited from carrying any form of pyrotechnic payload; their
purpose is to demonstrate flight principles or carry educational
payloads, not blow up, make noise, or emit a shower of sparks.
WHO ARE THE EXPERTS?
The oldest and largest organization of sport rocketeers in the U.S.
is the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). This non-profit
organization represents the hobby to public safety officials and
federal agencies, and plays a key role in maintaining the safety of
the hobby through rocket engine certification testing and safety
code development. The NAR also publishes Sport Rocketry
magazine, runs national sport rocketry events and competitions,
and offers liability insurance coverage for sport rocketeers and
launch site owners. You may reach the NAR at:
National Association of Rocketry
P.O. Box 407
Marion, IA 52302
www.nar.org
You may purchase copies of the NFPA Codes 1122 or 1127
regulating sport rocketry from:
National Fire Protection
1 Batterymarch Park
Quincy, MA 02269-9101
www.nfpa.org
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