In February 2026, I traveled out to the launch field in Brother, Oregon with a single goal: launch my custom-built model rocket, Zephyr-1, on a high-power motor and recover it successfully to achieve my National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Level 1 Certification.
The Rocket: Zephyr-1
Zephyr-1 is a 54mm diameter, 1.2-meter-tall rocket constructed using heavy-duty cardboard body tubes, fiberglass fins, and a 3D-printed nosecone. The rocket weighs roughly 1.1 kilograms empty and utilizes a mechanical motor retainer to secure high-power motors.
The Flight Profile
For the certification flight, I selected an Aerotech H128W-M motor. This motor produces a total impulse of 160 Newton-seconds and burns for approximately 1.5 seconds.
The estimated flight trajectory was:
- Apogee: 850 meters (2,780 feet)
- Top Speed: Mach 0.4
- Recovery: Single deployment at apogee using motor ejection charge.
Launch and Recovery
The weather at the field was near-perfect, with wind speeds under 5 knots. After completing the safety inspection, we loaded the rocket onto the 1010 rail.
On ignition, the H128W motor roared, propelling Zephyr-1 straight up. Tracking was visual, and at exactly 7.5 seconds after launch, we saw the puff of the black powder ejection charge and the deployment of the 30-inch nylon parachute. The rocket drifted slowly back to the sagebrush, landing approximately 150 meters from the pad.
Upon recovery, there was zero damage to the fins, body tube, or nosecone. The flight was witnessed and signed off by two NAR directors, officially granting me my Level 1 Certification!