DTH Rocket Endeavors Blog

DTH Rocket Blog Posts

Sport Rocketry / Software / Modeling and Simulation / Rocksim

    Rocketry Resources (2008-04-18)
    A few people have asked about some of the books I've read about rocketry. Below I've made a list of some of these resources: Without books on rocketry and aerospace, you would not be reading this ... [Read More]

    First Launch of 2009 (2009-04-11)
    I had some great launches today; no failures! Good launches and good recoveries. Plus, my onboard video worked for once! The quality isn't the best, but I've got it. I'll post it to YouTube and my ... [Read More]

    First Multistage Rocket: Complete! (2009-06-30)
    I just finished my first mid-power dual-stage rocket! I've built several low-power ones on Este's dash-zero motors way back when, but now I'm venturing into the world of electronic ignition, ... [Read More]

    50 Things I Do When I'm Bored (2009-10-09)
    Try to design a rocket on RockSim to break 100,000 ft using K motors Make up polynomials and then factor them Eat a bowl of cereal Try to find shortcuts to evaluate the nth ... [Read More]

    Rocket Team Update (2009-10-30)
    Our rocket team at school has been making some great progress in preparation for Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) 2010! We "finalized" our RockSim design, and are now going to start collecting ... [Read More]

    Computer Issues and an Update (2009-12-21)
    I'm posting today from a school computer. I regret to announce that my computer is almost permanently disabled. It has a problem where it begins to boot up and immediately shuts off. Some computer ... [Read More]

    Level-3: Putting the Cart Before the Horse (2010-08-02)
    You'd think I'd make sure I pass level 1 and level 2 before even thinking about level 3, but I can't help it. I might pass L1/L2 this August. Then I would want to start working on L3 pronto so I can ... [Read More]

    The Launch (2010-10-24)
    It was a great day, and lots of fun to see all the rocket designs people came up with. There were a lot of great flights... and a lot of failures too! Our rocket performed well, but its second ... [Read More]

    Back to Work (2010-11-30)
    Okay... So I just have to pull through three weeks of studying and taking final exams. Then it's home again for another three weeks. I have to work hard now. I've got so much going on at once: ... [Read More]

    University Student Launch Initiative -- We Made It Again! (2011-10-19)
    Our proposal was accepted, so Iowa State is now one of 42 universities competing in USLI. The University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) is a NASA competition for universities across the country to ... [Read More]

    Mach 2 (2012-05-18)
    One of my goals this summer is to break Mach 2. When I got back from school earlier this May, I started work on a new rocket that should be up to the job. It's a 38mm minimum diameter rocket made of ... [Read More]

    Mach 2 Rocket Launch Today (2012-05-28)
    It's going to be a little soggy in the field today, but a great day to launch rockets. I'm planning to launch my Mach 2 rocket. I did a nice black paint job after a lot of priming and fine wet ... [Read More]

    Rockoon (2012-10-14)
    I have delayed posting about this semesters project for awhile now, but now that I have a decent amount of material to present it is time to post it here. The idea of a rockoon system is to lift a ... [Read More]

    Rockoon Update (2012-11-28)
    Our final project for the semester is to assemble our design into a very large poster (it's like four feet wide). I'd like to share it with you! But instead of just posting a little picture of it, ... [Read More]

    A Level 3 Casing. Can Anyone Guess What This Means? (2012-12-22)
    I am in possession of a level 3 casing. Can anyone guess what this means for 2013? This means that I am going to go for my level 3 certification! Finally! This is going to be my main project for ... [Read More]