As you may have heard Tripoli Rocketry Association has reinstated Dr. 
Frank Kosdon as a TRA certified manufacturer.  Tripoli Motor Testing 
has also recently granted a one-year interim certification for all 
Kosdon Enterprises motors that retained approved status at the time 
of his decertification in April 2001.  TRA has declared these motors 
are only interim certified for Tripoli members, essentially giving 
them a portion of the burn period they did not receive at the time of 
censure.  The interim certification will end on June 30, 2010, with 
full certification to be granted for each reload kit going through 
comprehensive TMT or NAR S&T testing prior to that date.

When the motors are tested and certified the NAR will add them to the 
certified motor list.  But we will not be giving interim 
certification to the Kosdon motors that were certified in 2001.  The 
reason is that our requirements and Tripoli's were slightly different 
at that time.  Instead of decertifying the motors with no consumer 
burn time the NAR left them on the certified motor list giving people 
the burn time needed to use old motor stock.  So the burn time that 
Tripoli is now giving their members, the NAR gave their members in 2001.

Also, such certification would be against policy stated in our Motor 
Testing Manual which is available at 
http://www.nar.org/SandT/docs/ST-MotorTestingManual.pdf.

NFPA Code 1125 requires the successful completion of static testing 
before any rocket motor can go from being "uncertified" to 
"certified".  Kosdon rocket motors have been "uncertified" for 
several years.  Until the static testing required by NFPA 1125 is 
done by Tripoli Motor Testing or some other recognized testing 
authority, the NAR does not regard Kosdon rocket motors as being 
certified.  In accordance with our Safety Code, these motors may not 
be flown on any range where NAR insurance is in effect until this 
testing is successfully completed.

But we do look forward to seeing Frank back making motors and will be 
delighted when we can start burning his newly certified stock.

Jack Kane, Chairman
John Lyngdal, Chairman
NAR Standards & Testing
s-and-t@nar.org

Return to the S&T Chronology