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During the Pulse survey of the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) membership last September, members were asked:

“Would you support a TRA National Technical Convention? (examples: technical/professional presentation, member presentation, committee presentation, update to membership from the BOD)?”

The answer was overwhelmingly affirmative, with over 81% of the participating members indicating that they would support such a convention.

The TRA Board has listened to the members and has decided to conduct TRA’s first annual technical conference on Thursday 7/29 and Friday 7/30 during LDRS-39 in Wendover, Utah. The Board believes that the entire membership will greatly benefit from an intensive educational and information sharing opportunity such as a technical conference.

This year, the event is strictly "BETA." Tripoli will be recording the presentations and will "attempt" to broadcast them live. In person attendance will be "first come, first served" but we fully expect enough room for everyone that plans to attend.

The schedule below is subject to change.

TRA Tech Schedule

Presentation Details

Dr. Terry McCreary

Basic Propellant Formulation and Processing

Thursday 7/29, 6:30PM, Room A

Synopsis:
This PowerPoint presentation is designed for those who are thinking of making APCP motors but have little or no background or knowledge of practical aspects. The discussion will focus on R45 and R20 binder systems. Topics to be covered include: aspects of safety; common ingredients (binder, curatives, oxidizers, auxiliary fuels, bonding agents, plasticizers, etc.) and their properties and uses; motor/propellant ballistic properties; aspects of basic processing; cleanup; record-keeping.

Bio:
Dr. Terry McCreary is Professor Emeritus at Murray State University, having earned his B.S. (St. Francis University, PA), M.S. (University of Georgia), and Ph.D. (Virginia Tech) in chemistry. He taught chemistry and a few other subjects in higher education for over 40 years. He is the author of Experimental Composite Propellant, a monograph on making and testing APCP. He is also co-author of General Chemistry (4th ed) and of four editions of Chemistry for Changing Times (11th-15th ed.). Terry started in model rocketry in 1965, moving on to other pursuits after 1973. Like most of today's rocketeers he became a BAR and joined TRA in 1994. He was elected to the Tripoli BoD in 2003, serving for eleven years as a director and president of the organization for two years. He is certified L3 but is too cheap to fly big motors, at least not often. He is the winner of the "Most 4-inch Patriot Rockets Lost or Destroyed" award.

Andy Berger

The SpacePort America Cup

Thursday 7/29, 6:30PM, Room B

Synopsis:
History and future of the world's largest University rocketry competition.

Working with and Mentoring University Student Rocket Teams

Thursday 7/29, 7:30PM, Room B

Synopsis:
A "tips and lessons learned" review of how to engage, guide, manage and support a University rocketry team. Includes overview of rocketry competitions, finances, EH&S concerns, legal and other potential challenges.

Bio:
Andy lives in Houston Texas and is Level 3 certified member of TRA and NAR. He is an avid research motor mixer and has attended BALLS, LDRS and AIRFest for many years. He is a past Prefect of Tripoli Houston and is presently the Launch Director for the Spaceport America Cup. He is also the Vice President of the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association and Senior Technical Advisor for the Base11 $1M Space Challenge.

Pat Artis

Understanding the Energy Requirements for Orbital Insertion (2 parts)

Thursday 7/29, 7:30PM (part1) and 8:30PM (part 2). Room A

Synopsis:
This two-session presentation will explore the energy requirements for inserting a payload into orbit. The first session will begin with a discussion of the tyranny of the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation of motion which relates the change in velocity, Δv, to the specific impulse of the propellant and the natural log of the ratio of the initial and final weight of the rocket. Using this equation, we will explore and reject the premise of designing a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) vehicle, discuss the benefits of staging, and explore the questions of how to determine the number of stages and the relative stage sizes for a specific vehicle design. The presentation will then provide a brief tutorial on orbits and how to determine the Δv required to insert a payload into a specific orbit and how to determine the Δv contribution provided by the launch site location. This contribution is a function of the latitude of the launch site and the inclination of the desired orbit.

Bio:
Dr. H. Pat Artis is a Professor of Practice in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech. He holds degrees or certificates in Engineering Mechanics, Computer Sciences, Systems Engineering, and Flight Test Engineering. He started his engineering career in 1972 at Bell Laboratories, entered the startup ecosystem at Mornio Associates in the 1980s, and then founded and directed his own engineering company for more than thirty years before returning to Virginia Tech to teach aerospace engineering.

Within the department, Dr. Artis is the lead instructor for the sophomore Introduction to Aerospace Engineering and Aircraft Performance course, is co-instructor for two semester capstone aircraft senior design course series, and has authored and presents elective courses in Avionics Systems and Booster Design, Fabrication, and Operation. In addition to his teaching activities, he advises Virginia Tech’s NASA SLI, Rocketry@VT, and Orbital Launch Vehicle Team. Wherever possible, he incorporates a rocket design, build, and fly project in his courses.

Dr. Artis has been building and flying rockets since 1958. He has been a member of NAR for more than six decades, has been a member of Tripoli for two decades, is a TAP member, and continues to be an active flier.

Cameron McCoy & Kevin Spiegelman

Purdue Space Program, Six Degrees of Freedom Simulation

Thursday, 7/29, 8:30PM, Room B

Synopsis:
We will be presenting about the 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF) simulation used by the Purdue Space Program rocket team at Purdue University in Indiana. The PSP Liquid rocket team is planning to launch a liquid methane/liquid oxygen rocket to 40,000 feet in the fall to compete in the FAR-MARS competition. Our 6DOF is a MATLAB/Simulink program that we use to predict the trajectory of our rocket given vehicle and launch parameters. Our presentation will cover what a 6DOF is, how it works, how we use it, and its limitations. We will begin with a brief history of the various simulation methods used on our team over .me and how we came to develop and use our current 6DOF model. We will go over how the 6DOF differs from other simulation tools including a direct comparison with common hobby rocketry tools such as OpenRocket and RASAero. We will go over the high-level structure of the model and how Digital DATCOM is used for aerodynamic modeling. We will then talk about how single variable analysis and Monte Carlo methods are used in conjunction with the 6DOF. We use these methods to analyze how changing different design parameters effects the predicted performance and trajectory of the rocket. Lastly, we will talk about the limitations of our 6DOF and the assumptions that we make when using it. We will continue to take questions and if time remains we will share some “bloopers” from the 6DOF when it has produced funny trajectories while we are modifying the code.

Bio:
The presenters will be members of the PSP Liquids Trajectory and Aerodynamics Team. The main presenters will be Cameron McCoy and Kevin Spiegelman. Cameron is a first-year student and Kevin is a second-year student, both are majoring in Aerospace Engineering. Starting in Fall 2021 Cameron will be taking over as the lead of the Trajectory and Aerodynamics team. This summer Kevin will be working on personal rocket projects and Cameron will working with Professor Monique McClain doing research on 3D printing energetic materials.

John DeMar

Starting Your Up-Goers: An Experimental Survey of Igniter Compositions

Friday 7/30, 6:30PM, Room A

Synopsis:
Whether you call them motor starters or igniters, the electrically-actuated pyrogen for APCP ignition is often seen as a magic art. This presentation will review the theory of composite propellant ignition phases and the required parameters for proper start-up. A variety of pyrogen compositions were tested in a custom test chamber, providing relative measurements of direct and derived performance criteria. The results of these experiments will be discussed. A summary of recommendation will be offered based on cost, safety, and access to materials.

Solid Rocket Motor Hardware Design - Options & Scalability

Friday 7/30, 7:30PM, Room A

Synopsis:
This presentation will review the standard design approaches for commercial and research rocket motor hardware: threaded, snap-ring, and bolted. What are the trade-offs when considering the flight goals, reusability, and access to machining capabilities? Topics covered will include: hoop strength & closure force calculations, O-ring seal design, temperature factors, and machining. Design examples will be presented for 38 mm to 8-inch diameter hardware.

Bio:
John DeMar has been designing, building, and launching experimental solid rocket motors for over 20 years, from tiny 12mm composites to 8” diameter hardware. With over 40 years of professional experience, John has worked for GE Aerospace and NASA, and has been a consultant on many projects in military, industrial, and medical fields. He began his education with an AAS degree in Engineering Technology from SUNY Canton and received both his BS and MS degrees in Engineering from Syracuse University while employed. In between consulting projects, John has taught at both Syracuse University and NM State University. Currently, he enjoys living on a dead-end dirt road in the desert outside of Las Cruces, NM.

Bdale Garbee

Building Better Electronic Bays

Friday 7/30, 6:30PM, Room B

Synopsis:
Many hobby rockets carry on-board electronic devices to control deployment events, initiate air-starts and upper stage motors, collect flight performance data, and aid in recovery of the project after flight. While there are many ways to build an electronics bay, understanding and implementing best practices for arranging boards and wiring up the various pieces can help ensure everything works as planned! In this session, Bdale will share ideas and techniques for building better electronics bays, including how best to use GPS and radio telemetry to collect flight information and recover rockets after flight.

Bio:
Bdale is a level 3 flyer and co-founder of Altus Metrum, LLC. He has been part of the Free Software community since 1979, and was one of the early contributors to Debian GNU/Linux. He worked nearly 30 years for HP before taking early retirement from his position as an HP Fellow in the office of the CTO. Today, he serves on the board of several non-profit organizations serving Free Software and Ham Radio communities. In addition to high power rocketry, Bdale also spends leisure time driving fast cars on road courses, home shop machining. and contributing to ham radio including packet radio, weak-signal communications, software defined radio, and building amateur satellites.

Gary Rosenfield

Advanced Solid Propellant Development

Friday 7/30, 8:30PM, Room A

Synopsis:
This presentation will discuss the research, formulation and testing that resulted in a high-solids high-energy HTPB propellant formulation that can be mixed, cast and cured at room temperature with no plasticizer.

Bio:
Gary is the founder and president of RCS Rocket Motor Components, Inc. including its AeroTech, Quest and Industrial Solid Propulsion divisions. Gary has been involved in hobby and professional rocketry for over 50 years. He founded Composite Dynamics in the mid-‘70s which was one of the first companies to produce composite propellant hobby rocket motors after the demise of Enerjet in 1974. Gary worked for the Bermite Division of Whittaker and Aerojet Tactical Systems in the early and mid-‘80’s. Gary is a co-inventor of the reloadable hobby rocket motor which was introduced to the sport rocketry market in 1990. He is a lifetime Tripoli member (#022) and a current TRA board member.

Ben Graybeal

Shaving Ounces to Gain Altitude - A Look into Parachute Efficiency, Exotic Materials, Forces and Unique Recovery Solutions

Friday 7/30, 7:30PM, Room B

Synopsis:
Space is becoming more attainable to amateurs. This has a large group of rocket flyers setting their sights on extreme altitudes >100k feet or even passing the Karman line. This is not an easy task and requires efficiency in every aspect of design. The easiest way to shave weight that is not critical to the accent stage of flight is to make the recovery system as light as possible. The weight saving options are already available in the sport market but are either not offered by a single vendor or simply unknown.

The greatest weight saving available to flyers are exotic materials, extremely efficient designs, and ways to replace hardware. Kevlar (lines, tapes, webbings, broadcloth), technora (lines), spectra (lines, deployment bags cloth, thread), dyne ema (lines, deployment bag cloth), and more than 6 weaves and weights of nylon broadcloth to include 0.66oz nylon ripstop are just some of the exotic materials available and can be found in the sport market. With CAD and CFD, parachute design is becoming easier in the hobby markets. These assistant softwares are already being used in the sport and amateur markets to design and manufacture some of the most efficient recovery systems the hobby has ever seen. Metal hardware has already found its way "out the door" in many aerospace and space applications, but a lack of understanding and confidence in soft goods replacements has hindered further use and development. Sport, amateur and professional projects are saving weight by switching to soft anchors and links. These are again found in the sport already in soft bulkhead anchors and soft quick links.

Bio:
I have worked in the professional aerospace, space and skydiving industries for the past 6+ years and greater than 4 years of experience as a US Army paratrooper before that. I am a FAA certified parachute rigger. My mentors include one of the original Apollo parachute engineers and the chief designer for all current US manned capsules (Boeing, SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA) and the most recent Perseverance rover parachute. I have worked on the manufacturing and/or testing of the following parachute systems: the Boeing Starliner, Facebook Aquila, Masten lunar test article, NOAA and a recovery system for an orbital satellite delivery company. I have worked on the air/moisture barrier for the Bigelow inflatable space habitats and helped manufacture stratospheric balloons with a total volume of 1.3 million cubic feet. I have brought more designs to the sport/ hobby market than any other manufacturer and have collaborated with many other manufactures to develop parachutes. These manufacturers include; Spherachutes (Julie assisted with the assembly of a large commercial parachute that 7 was designed and cut out by me), Front Range Rocket Recovery (I have been talking and helping Steve for years and was sited in his published article in the Apogee newsletter), and Rocketman Enterprises (I helped Buddy and Ky with over 6 of their current designs and have a current royalty agreement for their use of my planform). I have made parachutes from 6 inches up to 75 feet in diameter.

Buddy Michaelson & Ky Michaelson

Rocket Recovery Solutions

Friday 7/30, 8:30PM, Room B

Synopsis:
How to correctly choose a parachute for the project you are working on, from Estes rockets to space shots, including hardware, lengths of shock cords and specific parachutes for the correct objective. Saving weight and space is important when doing high altitude projects to save weight, we carry ripstop from 0.66oz to 1.9oz and make the smallest and most compact chutes ever made.

Bio:
Buddy Michaelson is the General Manager at Rocketman Parachutes. He is the son of Ky Michaelson, former stuntman and expert rocket builder. When Buddy was born, he was given the legal middle name “Rocketman” and he has lived up to that honor. Buddy has spent his entire life around rocketry and parachutes since day one. Rocketman Parachutes is constantly developing and designing new products. Buddy is the innovator of each parachute for the company. In addition to creating new products, he also coordinates all testing and design for the products. With more amateurs working on high altitude projects, we will be talking about the success of using Rocketman Parachutes past the Karman Line (100km) more than a handful of times successfully.

Ky “Rocketman” Michaelson battled the government, gravity, and a profound learning disability to become the first civilian to launch a rocket into space. Michaelson has dedicated his life to pioneering space exploration, often from his own garage and backyard. As a young boy in Minnesota, Ky dreamed of being an astronaut, and his early contraptions showed a talent for building. His ancestors were inventors and daredevils, and he followed in their footsteps, at 82 he has worked in over 200 movies, set over 72 state and international records, and was the first amateur in the world to successfully build and launch a rocket to 72 miles up and 3,420mph.