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NAR Motor Testing

State and federal law require all rocket engines to be independently tested before they may be sold in the United States.

Test-firing in the computerized test cell.

The NAR Standards and Testing Committee performs this quality assurance for every individual rocket engine type and classification available to general consumers at its East Coast testing facilities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and its West Coast testing facilities in Hillsboro, Oregon. The committee has a detailed Motor Testing Manual which documents the exact procedures used for the certification process. An article in Sport Rocketry magazine provides more information about the Committee and its equipment and operating procedures.

Temperature-Testing EnginesS&T not only tests new engine offerings, but re-tests each approved engine type once in every five-year cycle to ensure repeatability and help identify creeping degradation in manufacturing or distribution practices. In addition, S&T collects and reduces data from motor malfunction reports sent in by consumers, using this data to trigger special testing of questionable engines and engine lots.

Hobby rocket engines are tested according to criteria found in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes 1125. These include accurate total impulse and time delay; sensitivity to shock, temperature, and other environmental considerations; adequacy of safety instructions; and gross operational correctness.

S&T’s computer-controlled engine testing fixtures can process motors as fast as they can be prepared for firing, and can measure variations in performance to hundreds of parts of a second.

For each motor type certified, S&T publishes a data sheet containing various static and operational parameters of the motor and including a typical thrust curve. Data sheets can be downloaded from the list of NAR-tested motors and may also be ordered from NAR Technical Services (NARTS).

NAR grants certification to two levels. The first, “NAR Certification,” denotes that a given motor satisfies the requirements of NFPA 1122 for model rocketry or NFPA 1127 for high power rockety. The second, “Contest Certification,” specifies that a certified model rocket motor is widely enough available to the general consumer to allow its fair use in NAR model rocket competition. Volunteers at a Test Session: Bob, Ken, Bill, Ed, Jack

 

Related Information

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  • The American Rocketry Challenge
  • Model Rocket Info
    ▼
    • The Sport Rocketry Hobby
    • Model Rocket Safety Code
    • Understanding FAA Regulations
  • High Power Rocketry
    ▼
    • High Power Rocketry Certifications
    • High Power Rocket Safety Code
    • Understanding FAA Regulations
    • Filing for FAA Launch Authorization
    • High Power Resources
      ▼
      • High Power Technical Reports
      • NAR HPR Certified Member Search
    • The NAR Rocket Science Achievement Award
  • Educational Resources
    ▼
    • Online Mentoring Resources
    • NARTREK Skills Program
    • The NARTREK Cadet Program
    • 4-H
    • Air Force JROTC
    • Civil Air Patrol
    • Rocket Teacher Certification Program
    • Grants, Scholarships, and Recipients
    • Educator’s Newsletter Archive
  • Find a Launch
    ▼
    • General Launch Information
    • Launch Calendar
    • Find a Contest
    • Register an NAR Launch
  • Local Clubs
    ▼
    • NAR Club Locator
    • Find an NAR Club Launch
    • Submit a Local Club / Submit Changes
    • Section FAQ’s
    • Section Guidebook
  • Insurance Questions/Claims
  • Safety
    ▼
    • Safety Codes
    • Model Rocket Safety Code
    • High Power Rocket Safety Code
    • Radio Control Rocket Glider Safety Code
  • Rocket Motor Information
    ▼
    • Certified Motors
      ▼
      • Motor Related Lists
    • NAR Motor Testing
      ▼
      • NAR Motor Testing Notices
    • Manufacturer Notifications
    • Report a Malfunctioning Motor
  • Contest Flying – NAR Competition
    ▼
    • National Scoreboard
    • US Team Selection Scoreboard
    • Find a Contest
    • Register an NAR Launch
    • Competition Results Entry
    • Team Registration
    • Teams List
    • Contest Events
    • Competition Meets
    • US National Model Rocket Performance Records – 8/2/19
    • International Competition
    • Competition Guide
    • U.S. Model Rocket Sporting Code
    • Rules Revision Process
  • Sport Rocketry Magazine
    ▼
    • Magazine Submissions
    • Write It and Get Paid
    • Advertise in Sport Rocketry
    • Sample Issue
    • Contact Sport Rocketry
  • Member Resources
    ▼
    • Publication Archives
      ▼
      • Sport Rocketry Magazine
      • American Spacemodeling Magazine
      • The Model Rocketeer Magazine
      • Model Rocketry Magazine
      • eRocketeer Digital Editions
      • Member Guidebook Archive
    • NARTREK Skills Program
    • R&D Reports
    • Technical Bibliography
    • NAR Insurance
      ▼
      • Insurance Questions
      • Proof of Insurance
      • NAR Insurance Claim Form
    • NAR Association Documents
    • Useful Documents for NAR Members
  • NAR Products
  • Website Fixes
  • Recent Website Changes
  • Donate