How to not build a two stage model rocket

So… I don’t usually write blogs mostly because I thought I wasn’t the “blogging type” (whatever that means). Actually, this is my first one. But after what happened during our first two-stage rocket attempt, I figured — yeah, it’s probably worth writing about. If nothing else, maybe someone else can laugh, learn, and avoid making the same mistakes we did. It started off like any good launch day. The rocket was prepped, the team was hyped, someone shouted “start!” (it was me) even though the rocket was somewhere in the shot — if you squint and use your imagination. We began the countdown with full confidence. 3… 2… 1… LAUNCH! What followed was… not flight. The rocket lifted maybe a few meters off the pad, sighed like it had second thoughts, and flopped over like a fainting goat. The motor technically fired — just not enough to impress anyone, including the rocket itself. We stood there in silence. Someone clapped. We all laughed. This blog is a mix of that story — and all the othe ... Read full article.