High Power Rocketry Technical and Regulation Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering technical specifications, safety regulations, and operational procedures for high power rocketry based on CAR/ACF and Transport Canada guidelines.

Vent Hole (Body Tube)

A hole drilled in the body tube above the upper bulkhead and below the nose cone specifically to prevent premature ejection of the nose cone.

Redundant Recovery System Requirement

A secondary ejection method required for all high power rockets with a mass exceeding $5\,kg$.

Windy Day Delay Selection

A shorter than usual delay should be selected for a rocket on windy days compared to the delay used on a calm day.

Fiberglass Recovery Wadding

A type of recovery material that is permitted for use under the CAR/ACF safety code.

Prohibited Payloads

Onboard items that are forbidden in high power rockets, specifically incendiary devices, explosive devices, and live vertebrate animals.

Minimum Launch Site Diameter

The baseline dimension for a launch site which must be at least $500\,m$; this distance increases according to the total impulse of the motor and expected altitude.

CAR/ACF Qualified Rocket Inspector

The individual required to inspect all high power rockets prior to flight.

Electrical Igniter Safety Protocol

The requirement that electrical igniters may only be safely installed in High Power Rocket motors once the vehicle is at the launch stand.

Launch Rail Angular Limit

The restriction that launchers must be set to within $20$ degrees of vertical.

RSO Launch Cancellation Criteria

Conditions under which the Range Safety Officer must cancel a launch, including surface winds greater than $30\,km/h$ or prevailing visibility less than $5\,km$.

Range Safety Officer (RSO) Duties

Responsible for protecting people, property, and environment from safety risks, and ensuring that persons launching rockets are appropriately qualified and certified.

Cloud Launch Regulation

The rule stating that a high power rocket must not be launched into a cloud and must not create a hazard to aviation.

Canadian Launch Safety Office

The regulatory government agency responsible for defining airspace requirements, arranging airspace restrictions, and issuing Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).

Minimum Average Thrust to Weight Ratio

A general rule of thumb requiring a ratio of at least $4:1$ for a safe launch.

Maximum Rocket Mass Formula

The calculation used to determine the maximum lift capacity of a motor: $m = \frac{\text{Thrust}}{4 \times 9.8\,m/s^2}$.