1. 403 Sunflower Ridge
Canton, GA 30115
18 April 2012
Judges, Senior Project
Creekview High School
1550 Owens Store Road
Canton, GA 30115
Dear Judges:
My name is Cody Blackwell. I will be entering Georgia Institute of Technology
this fall as a first-year Aerospace Engineering student. I am also an Eagle Scout and a
charter member of the Creekview High School Aeronautics Club. As such, I intended for
this project to further my amateur rocketry experiences by achieving National
Association of Rocketry (NAR) Level I certification, I defined the construction and
successful launch of a high power rocket as my ultimate goal in full acknowledgment the
risks and unforeseen challenges involved in such a task.
As stated previously, I personally designed, built, and launched a Level I high
power rocket (HPR). NAR deems an HPR Level I certification necessary for anyone who
launches rockets 1) flying with engines imparting total impulses (changes in momentum)
between 160.01 and 640 Newton-seconds, 2) weighing over 3.3 pounds (1500 grams),
and/or 3) using engines not considered “model rocket motors” by the National Fire
Protection Association. This project seemed most fitting because I endeavor to expand
my intellect whenever possible. My research paper discusses the issues faced by Jim
Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert during Apollo XIII and the engineering ingenuity
displayed with the successful performance of Mission Control’s improvised oxygen
valve. I attempted to emulate this resourcefulness during the design and assembly stages
of my project, although I unintentionally created a problem by excluding an altimeter
section from my original rocket designs. I altered the rocket design to accommodate an
altimeter compartment, but the weather on launch day proved a much greater concern.
Persistent rain at the Southern Area Rocketry launch site in Lilly, GA (four hours south
of my home), necessitated a four-and-a-half hour drive northwest to Phoenix Missile
Works’ field near Talladega, AL. The additional travel proved worthwhile, all
components remained intact throughout the day, and I had the pleasure of meeting several
Georgia Tech Ramblin’ Rocket Club members at the Alabama field.
Due to my academic undertakings, delving into high power rocketry seemed
fitting for a high school “Capstone” project. Aerospace engineers design, build, and test
vehicles other than rockets, but my involvement in the Aeronautics Club has inspired me
to specialize in propulsion and structures & design. In carrying out this project, I have
solidified my post-secondary educational goals, but I also better comprehend the
necessity of perseverance in everything I do. I now have a frame of reference that
facilitates my comprehension of the stresses and challenges in design engineering, from

2. setting and maintaining deadlines to improvising solutions to unforeseen circumstances. I
was ultimately grateful for the diversion because it allowed Dad and me to spend the
entire day together!
Reminiscing the past seven months, I do not believe I could have chosen a better
research project. It effectively combined a hobby I thoroughly enjoy with my career
goals. As Senator John Calhoun put it, “I have nothing to regret and little to correct.”
Sincerely,
Cody J. Blackwell