What is a rocket certification?

Rocketry is an extremely fun and rewarding hobby. It can also be a dangerous one. To protect rocket hobbyists and others, rules have been set to only allow those who have certified to launch rockets with motors larger than a certain weight and impulse.

Why should I certify?

Without a L1 certification, you’re limited to G motors and lower. While these still pack a punch, you’re still blocked off from larger and beefier motors. We also believe that in order to truly learn and progress in your knowledge of rocketry, moving to these larger motors is important. Once you certify, you can then buy and launch H and I class motors as long as you hold your NAR or Tripoli membership.

What do I have to do?

In order to certify, you first must be a member of either NAR or Tripoli. Both have the same requirements, and generally honor each other’s certifications at launches.

To certify, you need to build, launch, and successfully recover a rocket using an H or I class motor. Successful recovery means that from picking up your rocket off of the ground you can load another motor in and launch it again. Dual deployment is usually not done with this certification, though members can do so if they would like to.

Our members have had lots of success with getting their level 1 certification, and is seen as a more intermediate difficulty task.

What's next?

From getting your level 1 certification, you can move on to getting your level 2 certification. We highly recommend participating in the advanced student launch competition before moving on to a level 2 certification. This will allow you to work with a team to learn how to successfully design and execute dual deployment before doing on your own.

Additional notes

Your NAR or Tripoli certifications are only valid if you hold a current membership with the organization that you certified with. Not renewing after a year of your membership expiring may cause your certifications to expire!