Randy's Rocketry Blog

Randy's Rocketry Blog Posts

Other Rocketry / Sugar Shot to Space

    New Nozzle (2007-06-16)
    I recently began working on a new nozzle for the Sugar Shot project. You can read more about the project here . This nozzle is intended to be used for the MiniSShot motor. This Motor is a very ... [Read More]

    Static Firing Video (2007-09-13)
    I plan to start posting some videos form the past. I'll post them as I find the time, many of them were shot on an analog camcorder and need to be converted to digital. This one is a close up view of ... [Read More]

    Early Dual Burn Motor Test (2007-09-20)
    This is a video of a static test that I conducted back in 2005 when I first got involved with the Sugar Shot project. The dual burn concept is not new, but I haven't heard of any amateurs ... [Read More]

    Weekend Rocket Activities (2008-04-28)
    This past weekend was full of rocketry. First off I was able to see the fifth Sugar Shot motor test over at the FAR site. Look for more details and photos on the Sugar Shot site as the post test ... [Read More]

    Cutting Metal (2008-10-06)
    I cut some propellant segment spacer rings this weekend for the Sugar Shot to Space project. It's been a while and it felt good. We moved a while back and I just recently have had the time to build a ... [Read More]

    MiniSShot Motor Parts (2008-10-19)
    I just finished some grain support rings for an upcoming firing of the Sugar Shot to Space ProtoSShot-M Mark II motor. This will be the second firing of what is essentially the full, dual-phase, ... [Read More]

    More machining for Sugar Shot to Space project (2008-11-18)
    I recently finished some more light machining for an upcoming static test of SugarShot's ProtoSShot-M Mark II motor. The work included cutting the casting tubes to length and making a new set of ... [Read More]

    How Much Inhibitor? (2008-12-08)
    On the Sugar Shot project we've been talking about, among other things, how much inhibitor is actually necessary to inhibit the propellant surface. I suspect that it's less than what most of us ... [Read More]

    Great Weekend! (2009-01-25)
    I attended the RRS launch this weekend. It was a great launch and I had tons of fun. Rick Maschek and I fired a motor that was part of ongoing testing for the Sugar Shot to Space project. There were ... [Read More]

    Finocyl grain testing (2009-04-07)
    The Sugar shot project has begun testing finocyl grain geometries. Rick Maschek is doing a great job of actually casting the segments. Rick has managed to remove the mandrels with ease , something ... [Read More]

    Not Rockets (2009-05-01)
    Other than offering a tiny bit of support to the ongoing Sugar shot project , I've been way too busy to do any real rocketry work. On top of being busy at work, we've decided to replace the floors ... [Read More]

    SStS Success! (2009-07-26)
    The Sugar Shot project reached a significant milestone this weekend with the first successful firing of the flight configuration dualphase motor. This is a design concept that many "experts" have ... [Read More]

    SStS set to start work on next phase (2011-01-25)
    Sugar shot to Space is set to begin work on the next phase of motor/rocket development called DoubleShot . With a motor coming in at around 6 1/2 inches in diameter and utilizing approximately 200 ... [Read More]

    SStS Motor Casing (2011-10-13)
    I have purchased a piece of tube to fabricate a new motor casing for the Sugar Shot to Space DSS effort.   The DSS motor and test setup were among the finest I've ever seen, it's a shame ... [Read More]

    TR-1 Rocket (2012-05-16)
    With my sons first visit to the desert to view a rocket launch and to help out with the static test of the Sugar Shot to Space's latest motor a few weeks behind us, we've decieded to ... [Read More]

    TR-1 Rocket Motor initial CAD (2012-05-17)
      Here is our initial CAD of the new TR-1 motor.  Pretty much the same layout as my first N-class motor.  Bates grain consisting of six segments, with a half inch spacing ... [Read More]

    Sugar Shot motor work (2012-11-12)
    I've begun work on modifying some existing hardware for a new SStS motor. This design will incorporate a new non-pyrotechnic device to separate the two motor chambers.  In theory ... [Read More]

    SUGAR SHOT TO SPACE SUCCESSFUL FIRING (2013-05-06)
    The Sugar shot to Space project had a much needed successful firing this past weekend.  After the spectacular CATO of the impressive DoubleSShot motor nearly one year ago there was a lot ... [Read More]

    SStS MOTOR CASING (DSS TM-3) (2013-05-16)
    The aluminum tube for the DSS-TM-3 SStS motor arrived yesterday.  I'm just indexing/drilling the screw holes so not much work for me.  DSS TM-3 motor?   OK , it's getting tough to ... [Read More]

    TR-1 MOTOR UPDATE (NOZZLE) (2013-06-09)
        I  made good progress on the TR-1 nozzle this weekend.   The two pieces fit together nicely.  I'm still tempted to take some weight out of ... [Read More]

    SUGAR SHOTS TM-3 NOZZLE (2013-06-12)
      I've started refurbishment/modification of the nozzle for the upcoming TM-3 test.  Having seen the force with which this nozzle bounced across the Mojave desert last year, it's in ... [Read More]

    SUGAR SHOT'S P-CLASS MOTOR NOZZLE UPDATE (2013-06-13)
    I'm making good progress on the nozzle, but it's slow going.  I'm about halfway through the biggest modification which is cutting a relief that the adapter ring will fit into.  The area ... [Read More]

    SUGAR SHOT'S P-CLASS MOTOR NOZZLE UPDATE (2013-06-17)
      I finished the modifications to the Sugar Shot to Space's DSS TM-3 motor this weekend.  It was particularly tough machining through screw holes.  The open spaces created a ... [Read More]