Certification "CERT" Team
Our team, while not its main purpose, provides guidance and the ability to gain Hobby Certifications for High Power Rocketry. UMLRC is a registered club with the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), and like most clubs across the US, honors Tripoli Certifications as well.
We provide certifications at cost to our members and offer many opportunities to have our club cover the cost of High-Power Certifications.
Why have an entire section dedicated to this?
Most collegiate clubs tend to grow and fade. The best way to make sure we are always growing is by creating a huge repository of information that new and existing members can learn from. We have tutorials for our simulation software and PowerPoint slide decks on topics like advanced recovery techniques and launch weather forecasting.
How hard Is It to Get a CERT?
Well, it's almost rocket science. Getting a certification in high-power rocketry can be done relatively quickly. Because of standardized materials and building practices, it has made getting a certification much easier. However, we like to ensure whoever is flying knows every single inch of their rocket and why it is important, how it can fail, and what happens if it fails.
Level 1 Certifications involve flying and recovering a rocket on an H or I motor, which has around 10 times more kick than the rocket motors you buy at a hobby shop. On your own, it's not uncommon for an L1 cert to cost about $250+, including buying all the equipment and building materials.
Wait, it Costs how Much?!
Yeah, I bet that caught your eye. On average, a high-power rocket on the pad easily costs over $200, even the small ones. Our competition-size rockets are even more expensive; the propellant for a single flight alone costs at least $250 before shipping. The cheapest Level 1 High Power Kit is usually $80; UMass Lowell's kit is $15. On average, after the kit, motor cost, and our equipment fee, and your membership to NAR, it costs around $100 with the club (and that's if the club doesn't subsidize anything).
