L1 and L2 Certification Tips & Tricks

Last updated 4 years ago

Level 1

Minimize complexity to maximize your chances of success. In practice, this means:

Consider buying a kit. While you may have experience in HPR, designing a rocket from scratch can introduce more work and more risk. Most club members who have successfully completed an L1 have done so with a kit.
Use motor ejection for parachute deployment. While it may be tempting to try electronics, motor ejection is far more common in the hobby and introduces far less complexity into your system. Motor ejection is generally considered simple and effective. Furthermore, you won't have to worry about obtaining and preparing e-matches, black powder charges, etc.
Don't use shear pins. If using motor ejection, you will not have an (easy) way to ground test your recovery system. As such, using shear pins introduces a failure mode that is not easy to mitigate (shear pins don't shear). A simple friction fit with masking tape to hold together the two halves of your rocket is more than sufficient for an L1.
Consider using an Aerotech DMS or Cesaroni motor. Cesaroni RMS motors reasonably easy to use, but are in limited supply from our usual vendor. Aerotech RMS motors are significantly more complicated and require the purchase and assembly of several additional components. DMS motors require no casing, no assembly--simply adjust the delay, pack the ejection charge, and slide the motor in.
Get a threaded motor retainer. All you have to do is epoxy it to the end of the motor mount tube, slide in your motor, then screw on the cap.

Ask questions! #rocket-design is our designated channel for rocket- and certification-related questions, but feel free to contact anyone you know who has gone through the process before. It's better to ask a question than make a mistake and waste $100+ of materials and countless hours of your time!

Communicate with those in charge of certification, at least one week in advance. The closest launch for STAR members is at 's Snow Ranch site; to get certified there you will have to contact David Raimondi (see LUNAR website). For those looking to get a Tripoli certification, the closest Tripoli club is . Note that a NAR cert will be honored at a Tripoli launch, and vice-versa.

Level 2

The L2 flight test is the same as the L1 but with at least a J motor. The recommendations to minimize complexity also apply here. Get a kit capable of flying J motors to get this cert on a budget.

Other than the flight test, you also have to take a written test beforehand:

NAR question pool:
TRA practice test with all questions:

Level 1

Minimize complexity to maximize your chances of success. In practice, this means:

Consider buying a kit. While you may have experience in HPR, designing a rocket from scratch can introduce more work and more risk. Most club members who have successfully completed an L1 have done so with a kit.
Use motor ejection for parachute deployment. While it may be tempting to try electronics, motor ejection is far more common in the hobby and introduces far less complexity into your system. Motor ejection is generally considered simple and effective. Furthermore, you won't have to worry about obtaining and preparing e-matches, black powder charges, etc.
Don't use shear pins. If using motor ejection, you will not have an (easy) way to ground test your recovery system. As such, using shear pins introduces a failure mode that is not easy to mitigate (shear pins don't shear). A simple friction fit with masking tape to hold together the two halves of your rocket is more than sufficient for an L1.
Consider using an Aerotech DMS or Cesaroni motor. Cesaroni RMS motors reasonably easy to use, but are in limited supply from our usual vendor. Aerotech RMS motors are significantly more complicated and require the purchase and assembly of several additional components. DMS motors require no casing, no assembly--simply adjust the delay, pack the ejection charge, and slide the motor in.
Get a threaded motor retainer. All you have to do is epoxy it to the end of the motor mount tube, slide in your motor, then screw on the cap.

Level 2

The L2 flight test is the same as the L1 but with at least a J motor. The recommendations to minimize complexity also apply here. Get a kit capable of flying J motors to get this cert on a budget.

Other than the flight test, you also have to take a written test beforehand:

NAR question pool:
TRA practice test with all questions: