Next Sunday the 8th of February is the monthly scheduled launch morning for QRS at the Cedar Grove launch site from 8am. As always, weather and launch site dependent. While this launch isn't widely and publicly advertised we are expecting some TV media to be in attendance and representatives from Logan City Council.

For those running electronics in their rockets please be aware of the Electronics Best Practice, in the Electronics section of the forum to ensure a safe rocketry experience. 

As a reminder that we are launching in an open field with no cover so remember while we can't seek, we can slip, slop, slap and slide. Yes, sun screen, covered clothing etc. It was really warm at the February launch and we are expecting the temperature to drop off ever so slightly for the March launch but it will still be warm.  The field does have it's uneven bits and decent footwear is needed searching for rockets. For those who are not in the running for closest to pad, please be aware that there are fire ants in the area when walking around the site. With no facilities, please bring enough water to drink.

The high vis bunting will be set up around the power lines and we politely ask people not to venture into the areas barricaded by the bunting during the launch event. Energex also request that we don't have people around the cars during the launches due to the risk of earth currents if one of the conductors was brought down.

If you are planning a L1 or L2 certification attempt can you please let the committee know in advance.

And finally, Carl and Georgia who run the farm on the opposite side of Cedar Grove Rd have kindly offered to house the QRS trailer. They have a farm shop (honesty box) just up the road and sell honey (hives are local), eggs etc.

Cheers.

Simon.

(QRS Secretary)
(QRS 198 / Tripoli 21407)

https://rocketrychat.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_20260208_103653_440-scaled.jpg

Written in March 2008

Incredible – You know, as a club in Queensland, QRS have NOT even been going for 12 months as yet.

Now, I’m not naive enough to believe that spectators will automatically become members. However, with a growing number of launches consistently averaging more than 100 spectators, at the very least, the overall positive awareness of rocketry as a recreational activity has surely been increased. The message that the QRS is now trying to communicate to these recurring spectators is one of  ”Let us show you how to fly your first rocket”

Upon reflection, I have just considered how, as a club, we have gone from Start-up to 300 spectators in less than 12 months. Yes, there has be a lot of hard work put in by a lot of dedicated people. I also suppose that much of the same hard work goes on in most other rocketry clubs, but from what I have read in the past, the results can vary somewhat.

Over the years, I have heard of both great and numerous difficulties experienced by some in gaining even general awareness of rocketry in their own regions. While it is NOT my intention to demean the efforts of others, I believe many of these perceived problems may be rooted in the mindset of their possessor.

I am ALSO definitely NOT setting out to tell anyone, "how to" or "not to" run their rocketry clubs. Instead, I'd simply like to share with your some of our methods, so that you also to can have over 300 spectators or more at your future rocket launches, should you choose.

In fact, in my opinion, gaining positive exposure and building a successful club is simply a formulaic process. In keeping with being a "Good Formula", there are usually some very simple and easily obtainable ingredients. I’d now like to share with you my observations as to what makes our recipe successful.

AS SIMPLE AS BAKING A CAKE

So if "growing your club" is as simple as baking a cake, let’s now have a look at both the recipe and vital ingredients.

I'd say you need at least the three main ingredients listed below. If you have got these, then everything else is pretty much a bonus, and unless these additional ingredients distract from the overall flavour, they can only serve to add interest.

Ingredients to grow your own Rocketry Club

INGREDIENT NUMBER ONE

First, get yourself a great group of people who are each "willing to do a little". In Qld, we truly have a diverse group of rocketeers, who range from IT Consultants, Small Business operators, Boiler Makers. Dentists, Factory Workers, Graphic Artists, Concreter, Pyrotechnical Officers, Future Helicopter Pilots, Teachers and numerous Engineers.

So I suppose you'd have to admit this is a fairly diverse group.

It is through the collective efforts of this group of people that days like today are possible. It is a great privilege to work with such a group as truly "making it happen" and just not "talking about making it happen". 

However, what they all have in common is their willingness to contribute and bring to bear a lifetime of experience on a specific problem without having to be seen as being some form of "Rocket God" and having to let an ego "greater than their ability" get in the way.

Now I will agree that this is perhaps the hardest ingredient for many clubs to obtain. However, I don't think it's just been all luck either, and why has it happened so easily in Qld?

The main reason for this has been that from Day 1 of the new club, we have gone out of our way to find opportunities to allow individuals, regardless of how new they were, to contribute and run their own activity in a range of spheres.

So if you are reading this and you are a new member, then the Qld Rocketry Society is ready and willing to allow you to contribute to the running of either an event in the program or play a part in the administration of the club, if this is where you feel your skills lie.

I believe that it is this attitude that makes our club fresh and innovative and gets 300 people to a launch.

If you are reading this and you are not already a member of QRS, we invite you to join us so that you can discover two things.

• Firstly we'd like you to discover what we can teach you about the joy of safe rocketry.
• Secondly and perhaps more importantly, we'd like you to discover the joy of learning just how far you can extend the boundaries of your own intellect, manual skills and administrative abilities.

If you are a member of any other club, regardless of whether it is rocketry or a stamp collecting club, who have not engaged you totally or extended this opportunity to you, then perhaps you have some more pressing questions to be ask of the clubs’ executive and perhaps even yourself?

INGREDIENT NUMBER TWO

Once you've got the first ingredient "squared away" you can now concentrate on the second. 

(Your going to love this)

It's so simple - FLY ROCKETS at every opportunity you can.

If you can fly them regularly all the better.

Are there opportunities in your schedule to fly more rockets?

Push the limits of the rockets you can fly and still keep on the right side of legal. Be adventurously with the type of rockets that you fly not only how far and how fast but also what type of motors and how they deploy and recover.

Never let anyone tell you "We' don't fly that type of rocket, Big Fred doesn't like them". While I'm not suggesting that you fly an unsafe rocket or engage in illegal practice I am say that you may need to be prepared to prove or demonstrate you ability and the soundness of the prediction of the performance of the craft you intend to fly. But then again this is all just part of extension process of both intellect and skill that we spoke about earlier.

If after all this you are still being told that you can't do this, then perhaps you should also be investigating an alternative flying group. Perhaps one more engaged with "Rocket Science" than "Rocket Opinion".

INGREDIENT NUMBER THREE

If you found the second ingredient simple then I think you are going to find the third even simpler. The third ingredient required to grow a rocketry club is quite simply - TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT.  Do this at every opportunity.

Most people love to hear about rockets (Wives being the exception - for some reason many are completely immune - personal experience). Beyond this group, though, most people love to hear about rockets if you are prepared to talk about them.  Tell your friends, tell your acquaintances, and tell your work colleagues - even take the bold step of inviting them to a launch. You never know where your clubs next contributing member is going to come from.

I have even taken to telling my children's teachers about them. You know I have never met a teacher who is not interested or who has not contemplated how they or their classes may become involved. Once you've got their interest, you can then look for the opportunity to get them involved.

How many people are you telling about rocketry?

How many local papers did you invite or know about to your last or next launch?

Did you invite your local councillor or MP?

Every MP I know cares about any group of 300 people wherever they are assembled. Even if it's just to watch grass grow. This is what politicians do.

When was the last time you got a spot on either a community billboard on the radio or a spot on breakfast radio?

TOO HARD?

Without news, News organisations wither.

Give them some news - after all, we live in a Western culture that has collectively grown up, hearing news about rockets. So, regardless of whether it was Sputnik, Mercury, Apollo, Space Shuttle, Korean Missiles or even High Shot, we all just seem to love hearing about them.

Why not try to tell the local people what your rockets are doing locally?

Why don't you take my challenge and find out for yourself just how hard it is or is not to get a pre-launch spot on breakfast radio?

SUMMARY

So in summary, if you wish to grow your rocketry club, then in my opinion, it's really quite simple.

• Find "Good People" and let them do what "Good People" do.
• Fly Rockets at every opportunity you can.
• Tell as many people about your rockets as often as you can.

Best of luck…….

Len Forsyth

P.S.

Like all good cakes, we just need to make sure we don’t BURN it.

Was the oven too hot? :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Space_Research_Institute

The Australian Space Research Institute (ASRI)—often referenced as the Australian Space Research Institute Ltd , it was a non-profit, volunteer-run organisation that operated from 1991 to 2023, focusing on applied research and education in space technology. Its charity registration was voluntarily revoked on July 7, 2023, marking the end of its operations, as the landscape for space research shifted toward more formal, government-backed entities like the Australian Space Agency. 

Key Aspects of ASRI’s Final Years and Legacy:

• Operational Focus: ASRI aimed to fill gaps in Australian space capabilities, specifically in launch vehicles and satellite technology, often using volunteer labour to foster industry experience.
• Key Projects: The group was heavily involved in student experiments, which were launched from the Woomera range, and the development of custom nosecones and payload recovery mechanisms.
• The Zuni Program: ASRI worked extensively on rocket launches using Zuni motors, but the program was terminated due to limited range access, with the last campaign occurring in 2011.
• Conclusion: Following a decline in active projects and the destruction of its stockpile of Zuni motors in July 2020, the organisation's formal existence concluded with the voluntary revocation of its charity status in 2023. 

Evolution of the Sector:
While ASRI functioned as a volunteer-driven, non-profit, the current Australian space landscape has transitioned into a more commercialised, government-supported sector led by the Australian Space Agency (established 2018) and initiatives like the Australasian Space Innovation Institute (ASII), which launches in 2026 to accelerate industry commercialisation. 

Sounding Rockets

The Small Sounding Rocket Program (SSRP), initiated in 1996, provides Australian educational institutions with a low cost payload launch service. The service was expanded to include individuals, companies, foreign universities and non-commercial organisations seeking assistance to launch their own vehicles.

Launches were conducted twice a year from Woomera, South Australia. Two types of rockets were used:

• Sighter, a solid fuel rocket capable of launching a 3 kg payload to an altitude of 5.9 km at speeds over Mach 1, and
• Zuni, a solid fuel rocket capable of launching a heavier payload to an altitude of approximately 7 km, and reaching speeds of Mach 2.5.

The Australian Government donated its Zuni rockets to the ASRI for use in student experiments, which were launched from the Woomera launching range.

ASRI has also designed and constructed custom nosecones and payload recovery mechanisms for the Zuni. With a payload of 20 kg, the Zuni has an approximate range of 5.9 km, which it attains in about 40 seconds, experiencing 55 g and 491 m/s (Mach 1.4) during the flight.

Limited range access resulted in the termination of the program, with the final launch campaign occurring in 2011. Complete destruction of the ASRI stockpile of Zuni motors occurred in July 2020.

Launch vehicle development

The aim of the AUSROC program is to develop a micro-satellite launch vehicle capable of being scaled up for use in heavier launch vehicles.

AUSROC I

The AUSROC I program commenced in 1988 with a group of undergraduate students in Mechanical Engineering at Monash University, who designed and built AUSROC I. It was successfully launched on 9 February 1989. The flight lasted one minute, reaching 3 km in altitude and 161 m/s. AUSROC I was a liquid-fueled rocket based on a modified Pacific Rocket Society design.

AUSROC II

AUSROC II was a larger pressure fed kerosene-oxygen bipropellant rocket that was developed in the 1990s. It was designed to reach an altitude of 10 km. The first attempt at launching an AUSROC II suffered a spectacular failure on the launch pad in 1992. The subsequent rocket, named AUSROC II-2 was successfully launched in 1995 from Woomera, although it did not reach its target apogee due to pressurisation problems with the LOX tank.

AUSROC 2.5

AUSROC 2.5 was designed to provide an intermediate step between the AUSROC II and III programs. It uses the same size engine as the AUSROC III, but with simpler and easier-to-implement cooling methods. The primary objective was to deliver a 10 kg payload to an altitude of 20 km and recover the rocket intact.

AUSROC 2.5 was the principal subject of current development efforts. It was projected to launch in late 2007. Prior to that, a key milestone was the ground testing of the propulsion subsystem.

The project is currently seeking volunteers to assist with manufacturing, integration and testing.

AUSROC III

AUSROC III was designed to launch a payload of 150 kg to an altitude of 500 km. It was a sounding rocket that will incorporate active guidance for "live" steering, and a steerable parachute recovery system.

AUSROC IV

AUSROC IV was the final stage of the AUSROC program and consisted of five AUSROC IIIs, four for the first stage and one for the second stage. It was intended to place a small satellite (up to 35 kg) into a Low Earth Orbit.

AUSROC Nano

AUSROC Nano is a three-stage, liquid-liquid-solid orbital launch vehicle, designed to launch a payload of 10 kg into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 300 km. It was designed to incorporate a rapid setup and launch capability that would provide the payload with the option of polar or equatorial orbit profiles.

Satellites

The discontinued Australis Microsatellite program aimed to develop a low-cost, autonomous satellite that could be used for a variety of applications such as low Earth orbit communications, remote sensing and small scale science experiments.

JAESAT (Joint Australian Engineering Satellite) is a collaboration between ASRI, the Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems, the Queensland University of Technology and Ukrainian Youth Aerospace Association, Suzirya, that began in 1997. The project was put on hold in 2000 when CRCSS withdrew funds due to cost and schedule over-runs with a joint American-Australian venture, FedSat.

Hypersonics

The Centre for Hypersonics at the University of Queensland (UQ) performs extensive research into developing the science behind scramjet propulsion.

The hypersonics project, currently on hold is a joint effort between ASRI and UQ to develop a free-flight scramjet engine.

Next Sunday the 8th of February is the monthly scheduled launch morning for QRS at the Cedar Grove launch site from 8am. As always, weather and launch site dependent.

As a reminder that we are launching in an open field with no cover so remember while we can't seek, we can slip, slop, slap and slide. Yes, sun screen, covered clothing etc. It was really warm at the January launch and we are expecting the February launch to be equally warm. The field does have it's uneven bits and decent footwear is needed searching for rockets. For those who are not in the running for closest to pad, please be aware that there are fire ants in the area when walking around the site. With no facilities, please bring enough water to drink.

The high vis bunting will be set up around the power lines and we politely ask people not to venture into the areas barricaded by the bunting during the launch event. Energex also request that we don't have people around the cars during the launches due to the risk of earth currents if one of the conductors was brought down.

If you are planning a L1 or L2 certification attempt can you please let the committee know in advance.

And finally, Carl and Georgia who run the farm on the opposite side of Cedar Grove Rd have kindly offered to house the QRS trailer. They have a farm shop (honesty box) just up the road and sell honey (hives are local), eggs etc.

Cheers.

Simon.

1. Australian Rocketry Katana 3" kit = $375
2. Cesaroni Motor Case 54mm 6GXL (unused) = $380
3. Celestron Nexstar Evolution 8 EdgeHD with Starsense = $3k ONO (new costs $5450)

All prices are AUD and the owner is planning on attending the February launch.

Photos below......

1. Australian Rocketry Katana 3" kit 

2. CTI Case 54mm 6GXL Unused

3. CELESTRON NEXSTAR EVOLUTION 8 EDGEHD WITH STARSENSE NEW = $5450

Next Sunday the 11th of January is the monthly scheduled launch morning for QRS at the Cedar Grove launch site from 8am. As always, weather and launch site dependent.

As a reminder that we are launching in an open field with no cover so remember while we can't seek, we can slip, slop, slap and slide. Yes, sun screen, covered clothing etc. Especially covered and sturdy footwear. The field does have it's uneven bits and decent footwear is needed searching for rockets. For those who are not in the running for closest to pad, please be aware that there are fire ants in the area when walking around the site. With no facilities, please bring enough water to drink.

The high vis bunting will be set up around the power lines and we politely ask people not to venture into the areas barricaded by the bunting during the launch event. Energex also request that we don't have people around the cars during the launches due to the risk of earth currents if one of the conductors was brought down.

If you are planning a L1 or L2 certification attempt can you please let the committee know in advance.

And finally, Carl and Georgia who run the farm on the opposite side of Cedar Grove Rd have kindly offered to house the QRS trailer. They have a farm shop (honesty box) just up the road and sell honey (hives are local), eggs etc.

Cheers.

Simon.

If you are planning a L1 or L2 certification attempt can you please let the committee know in advance.

Rocket motor purchases through Endeavour Aerospace will have to be organised in advance. 

And finally, Carl and Georgia who run the farm on the opposite side of Cedar Grove Rd have kindly offered to house the QRS trailer. They have a farm shop (honesty box) just up the road and sell honey (hives are local), eggs etc.

Cheers.

Simon.
(QRS Secretary)
(QRS 198 / Tripoli 21407)

This is our flagship public event for 2026, and it’s our chance to show families, students, and the local community just how exciting model rocketry can be. We’re also expecting a few media representatives, so QRS must put on a strong showing with both in the air and on the ground.

Even if you’re not planning to fly, your presence on the day is still valuable. Having members available to chat with spectators, answer questions, and share their enthusiasm helps create a welcoming, knowledgeable atmosphere. It’s also a great way to introduce new people to the club and inspire the next generation of rocketeers.

If you are planning on flying, or just attending, can you please fill out the form linked below. This is a repeat of Len's email so don't feel that you have to fill it out a second time. 

     https://queenslandrocketry.com/public_launch_intention/

Low power motors will be available from Endeavour Aerospace.

As a reminder that we are launching in an open field with no cover so remember while we can't seek, we can slip, slop, slap and slide. Yes, sun screen, covered clothing etc. Especially covered and sturdy footwear. The field does have it's uneven bits and decent footwear is needed searching for rockets. For those who are not in the running for closest to pad, please be aware that there are fire ants in the area when walking around the site. With no facilities, please bring enough water to drink.

The high vis bunting will be set up around the power lines and we politely ask people not to venture into the areas barricaded by the bunting during the launch event. Energex also request that we don't have people around the cars during the launches due to the risk of earth currents if one of the conductors was brought down.

And finally, Carl and Georgia who run the farm on the opposite side of Cedar Grove Rd have kindly offered to house the QRS trailer. They have a farm shop (honesty box) just up the road and sell honey (hives are local), eggs etc.

Cheers.

Simon.
(QRS Secretary)
(QRS 198 / Tripoli 21407)