Building Your Rocket
There's no mandatory blueprints you have to follow to use URocket. Use your imagination, go wild*.
However, beginner rocket enthusiasts can follow the instructions described ahead to make their first rocket and refining their rocket-making skills. We expect great things from you!
* Going wild doesn't imply uncontrolled wasting of material goods:
Be environmentally conscious and build your rocket with used bottles and other recycled materials. No use going to space if you don't have a home to come back to, uRocketeer.
To build the URocket example rocket you'll need:
- 2 Plastic Bottles
- A Hose Connector (Needs to fit the bottle nozzle)
- A Plastic Bag
- Cardboard
- Loads of Tape
- Even more String
- Scissors
You don't need to buy most of these materials. We encourage you, uRocketeer, to try and look around your house for old cardboard boxes, used shopping bags, old hoses etc.
WARNING
Young uRocketeers, we're sure you're bold, nevertheless it would be bad for our mission if you got injured while building the rocket. Don't hesitate to ask help from one of your teachers and/or parents when dealing with possibly hazardous cutting tools.
- To start, place the Hose Connector on the nozzle of the bottle. Make sure it holds on tight. This bottle will be your body. The other one will be the payload bay.
- Connect the two bottles with tape. Make sure the connection is air-tight and solid. You don't want your rocket to go Challenger on you.
- Feel free to expand as much as you want, or decorate your rocket to make it stand out.
Now that you've built the body of your rocket (or not, if you're a safety first kind of person), It's time to build a safety mechanism: The Parachute. This will make sure your rocket survives the fall without sustaining major damage, reducing the need of redecoration and/or piece substitution. This ultimately will make sure your rocket is reusable and ready for an uncountable number of flights!
WARNING
The parachute is a safety mechanism for the rocket, but it takes a lot of cutting to get it done, which can be dangerous at times. Call your teacher/parent before proceeding ahead.
- Start by cutting your plastic bag in a big circular shape.
- Cut a smaller circle inside the bigger one.
- Cut small rectangles of tape, and place them around the outer rim of the parachute, at equal distance from one another
- Make a hole on the center of each slice of tape...
... and put a piece of string on each one.
- Tie the end of all string pieces together and your parachute will be ready.
Check this video to see how your parachute should behave. You don't have to get it right on your first attempt, don't be hard on yourself!
You can't launch a rocket without a steady base. It will hold it while you increase pressure and make sure you're able to launch it at your will. The piece also allows you to control the direction you want to launch your rocket. A good launcher can make all the difference.
WARNING Younger uRocketeers might want to leave the construction of this piece to a responsible supervisor.
Once you're done building your rocket, it's time to turn it up a notch and equip it with the URocket Electronic Payload, and give it the ability to communicate with the URocket Mobile App. To learn how to this, go ahead into the next chapter: Electrifying Your Rocket