NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH!

Today, September 15th, 2023, we are adding two new products to our website store:



You can find both new products on our Shopify store at this link:

Air Rocket Works Shopify Store


STEAM & Co in UK

Take a look at the excitement and engagement of these kids when building paper rockets to launch.  Thanks for sharing the video Nick!

Fun New 3D Printable Rockets

One of our customers, Cal Leggett, has had fun designing and 3D printing all kinds of cool rockets and  accessories.  

You can find these cool designs here:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5166183

Be sure to like and follow Cal on thingiverse to check out his other slick designs.

Back in the MAKER SHED!

Our latest products are now available through the store at MAKE.co as of June 2020!


Watch MAKE Magazine and MAKE Community for upcoming articles!

SEE Science Center Exhibit

I wanted to post an update about the exhibit that Ryan Leonard and I designed and built for the SEE Science Center as Ryan’s Eagle Scout project back in September of 2016.  The exhibit is holding up well, with only a few adjustments, a couple replacement rockets, and some routine pump service.  One thing that I was very curious to discover was how much do our launchers get used?  How many launches before the pumps need service?  How many launches before I have to replace the rockets?  How durable are our standard* launchers?

To answer all of these questions, a way to count the number of launches over time was required.  To design the counter, I started where I usually do – my “inventory” in my basement.  I found I had a couple of suitable pressure switches – one per launcher, four push to connect tube fittings, a couple Tee fittings, along with a digital counter.  I designed around the parts I had available to create a housing for the pressure sensors & the digital counter, and came up with the little red 3D printed housing pictured above on the lower right of the image, and seen between the two launchers.  The counter has a built in lithium battery and will last 5+ years, so simply connecting a pressure actuated switch that increments the count when the pressure drops during each launch does the trick.  No external power source required, no concern about loosing power, I like simplicity & reliability.

The counter was installed on January 25th, 2018, and as of Tuesday, May 21st 2019, has tallied 31,571 launches!   That’s an average of 65 launches per day!  So, extrapolating back to September of 2016, roughly 550 days before the counter was installed, that means these two launchers have over 67,000 launches between them!  I love good data.  For reference, the rockets last about a year as well.  They were still functional, but were looking a bit "tired".  The launchers are 100% original.  The only service done to these launchers was a cleaning of the QEV, as the original (non-Lezyne pumps) rapidly deteriorated and debris was pumped through the launchers internals.  They were thoroughly cleaned, and put back into service the same day.

I also wanted to thank Lezyne for their donation of service parts and seal kits for the pumps in return for some data on how well the pumps hold up to dealing with thousands of kids using them every year.  For reference, these standard Lezyne floor pumps have lasted an incredible 16 months at the hands of thousands of elementary school aged children.  A quick rebuild to change the o-ring seal, and they are back in business.

*The launchers use all of the standard components as our CAR v2.2 launcher, with a couple additions; they are bolted down to the floor to allow the tensioning of the guide wires, the launch tube is customized to clamp the guide wire, a pressure gauge was added in place of the over-pressure valve – which was relocated under the control panel, and the rocket nose and fins are custom designed & 3D printed with built in wire guides but use our standard ABS body tubes.

Family Trip to NASA KSC

April 14th, 2018:

Our good friend David Sollberger at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Launch Service Provider group invited us down to Cape Canaveral for a special occasion that only happens every 5-7 years, a NASA Family day, on April 14th.  Over the last two years we have been working with KSC Educational Outreach to design, build and test the custom compressed air rocket launching system shown below.  We built the controller and 9 launchers for NASA, and another 3 systems just like it for United Launch Alliance (ULA), one for each of their three main locations.  My wife Tanya, our two children Lauren & Sean and my parents joined us on the trip.

It was so cool to walk over to the new Operations building and see the Air Rockets sign just outside the door:

We helped set up the two systems, 9 launchers in all.  The control panel below is one of two.  Note the serial number plate in the lower right - this case originally held the igniters for the space shuttle solid rocket boosters! 

How can you beat the 500 foot tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) as a backdrop?

I love how kids and adults alike built and launched rockets.  Look at the determination!

We also had the chance to tour the facilities, and started with the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building).  It's deceptively tall.  It was built to assemble the sections of the Saturn V rocket, and could build 4 of them at a time!

We took a bus tour of launch pads 39A and 39B, narrated by a NASA engineer.  Pad 39A was used for Apollo moon missions, and is now under a 20 year lease with SpaceX, and is where the first Falcon Heavy launched Feb. 6th.  It is also regularly used for Falcon 9 launches.  Pad 39B was being refurbished for the launch of the SLS.

Here was the view of our launching area (lower left) as seen from the 5th floor observation deck of the operations building.  Note the space shuttle shaped running trail.

We also had a chance to meet Bob Cabana, who was part of four space shuttle missions from 1990 to 1998. Bob has been the director of the entire Kennedy Space Center complex for the last 10 years. 

We found out that Bob and our kids, Lauren and Sean, all think that the best roller coaster at Universal Studios is the Hulk ride.

Bob was also gracious enough to thank us for helping their educational outreach, and encouraged us to continue getting kids interested in science and space.

He also signed one of his shuttle mission pictures for us:

We then headed over to the Neil Armstrong Operations Building, and saw this space suit in the lobby:

It was really special for my father to see this, as when he was a young engineer not long out of college, he had worked for United Technologies Hamilton Standard working on the Apollo space suits for the lunar landing.  He had worked on the mounting of the large backpacks that the astronauts wore during the moon walks.

As one last special walk that not many people get to see, we followed in the footsteps of every manned mission launched from KSC, by starting at the crew quarters, where the astronauts would be held in quarantine for up to two weeks before a launch.  We then walked through the hallways, down the old elevator and out the doors to the ramp in all of the famous photos:

We couldn’t resist getting a family picture in the same area.  We had to hurry up and leave the grounds by 3:30, as there was a ULA launch scheduled for that evening.

We headed back to our hotel, had some dinner, and walked out to the beach just in time to witness the launch:

Just as the rocket was disappearing into the high clouds nearly two minutes into the launch, we heard the low rumble of the launch, which was about 14 miles away!

It was quite a spectacular way to end a fantastic day.  Thanks again to our good friend David Sollberger, and NASA for inviting our family for this event.

Our friends at Explo

We wanted to announce that Explo, a repeat customer, are adding to the number of our Compressed Air Rocket launchers that they use with their STEAM camps, to prepare for the summer camp season.   They have used the launchers for several events, both indoors and outdoors, with a wide range of ages.

Check out the clever custom stand that Dave Hamilton, Creative Director, and Director of the EXPLO Studio, designed and built in place our wooden stand.

It adds protractors for both elevation and direction, when you also vary the pressure, you can completely control the launch of the rocket.  This stand would also work well for an accuracy competition using hula hoop “planets” for completing missions.


Dave has also created several other excellent teaching tools, such as these great looking vertical wind tunnels, shown here being used to experiment with parachutes.

CHECK OUT RICK’S NEW BOOK “MBOTS FOR MAKERS”

Rick and co-author Andrew Carle’s new book “mBots for Makers”, is available here:

https://www.amazon.com/mBot-Makers-Conceive-Construct-Classroom/dp/1680452967/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511737874&sr=8-1&keywords=mbot+or+makers

Also, check out Rick and co-author James Floyd Kelly book “MAKE: Planes, Gliders and Paper Rockets”, available here:

https://www.amazon.com/Rick-Schertle/e/B016P2Q6SG


MOSI Rockets Red Glare Festival

Jun 17 2017 – Jun 18 2017 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Discover the science of fireworks, then build rockets and send them soaring more than 100 feet into the sky during MOSI’s three-weekend event.

For three exciting weekends leading up to Independence Day, you’ll be able to get hands-on with science that’s as American as Apple Pi at the Museum of Science & Industry! MOSI’s Rockets’ Red Glare Festival lifts off June 17 & 18, 24 & 25, and July 1 & 2.

Meet real rocket engineers from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on the festival’s first day, Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They’ll show you how to design, build, and launch your own rocket made from paper up to heights of more than 100 feet!

Then that same paper rocket launching fun will continue on every weekend day during the festival, led by the staff of MOSI’s Idea Zone makerspace.

Plus, at various times on festival days, live demonstrations will give you an up-close look into the science that makes fireworks light up the sky, led by MOSI’s STEAM Team (STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).

MOSI’s Rockets’ Red Glare Festival is included with MOSI admission, as is MOSI’s summer exhibit Cardboard Space Adventures, where families help create a huge outpost in outer space, made out of cardboard — exploring a towering space station, alien base, and maze; building cardboard machines; and even playing a giant Space Invasion video game using cardboard game controllers.

Dads get in free on the festival’s opening weekend! On Father’s Day weekend, June 17 & 18, dads visit MOSI free with a paid child’s ticket. (Some restrictions apply — visit the MOSI ticket office or call 813-987-6000 for details.)

2017 Bay Area Maker Faire

UPDATE:

Well, two days done at the Faire, and one to go!  It’s been crazy hot (up to 93°F) today, but we had good traffic at the tent.  A special thanks to all of our volunteer helpers today!!!

I wanted to get an accurate count of exactly how many launches we do in at the Faire, as of the end of the day today, we were just below 1000!  All done with one of our standard launchers.


We will be exhibiting at the Maker Faire: Bay Area 2017 coming up on May 19th-21st! We heard the calland decided we should be at the San Mateo Event Center and launch rockets with you all.

Stop by and say hello, and build and launch a rocket!  It looks like we’ll be between areas 1 & 10, not far from the Power Racing Series. Check out our entry!

Hope to see you there

Don’t forget to support the other Makers and the Faire Sponsors.  They make all this happen!


Our Friends, STEAM & Co.

Nick Corston first met Rick and I at the World Maker Faire in the fall of 2014.  He managed to talk us out of one of our prototype launchers that we had at the Faire - before we had shipped our Kickstarter orders!  It's worked out well though, as Nick had traveled all over the UK with his STEAM & Co. trailer, and one of his most popular STEAM activities is the "Rocket Kids".  This event combines the story of Homer Hickam, the real life author of "Rocket Boys" (also known as the movie October Sky) and the hands-on activity of each child making their own rocket to launch.  The event concludes with a launch of a black-powder powered rocket.

2016 World Maker Faire

We’ll be launching all weekend at the World Maker Faire in New York this coming weekend.  Come join us from 10-6 on both Saturday and Sunday.  Keith and Rick will both be there with their families in our once a year Air Rocket Works reunion.  Details at: http://makerfaire.com/new-york/ 

2016 San Jose Mini Maker Faire

Our brand new v2.2 launcher got a workout at the Second Annual San Jose Mini Maker Faire at History Park in San Jose, CA.  We built and launched over 700 rockets in just 7 hours!  I think that might be a record.  Pictured above is the San Jose Hisoric Light Tower.  This was big technology in the 1880’s in what is now the heart of Silicon Valley.  The tower is 115′ tall and nearly every rocket went much higher.  It was fun to have a physical gauge.  Our newest CARB (Compressed Air Rocket Bounce) flew nearly out of sight and landed with a 10′ bounce.  With a foam nose, lightweight body and plastic fins it’s durable and sleek.  We’re super happy with this new rocket and you will be too!