Sugar Rocketry Worldwide

Recommended Websites
in no particular order


Dustin Brown -  Has recently updated his website, which describes several innovative rocket-motor projects, including a two-stage model rocket design using KN/sorbitol, and instructions for building "D" motors using this propellant.

Ayson Baxter - maintains a blog on his sugar-propelled rocketry activities in Jamaica.

Scott Jolley - Fellow NEFARian who experiments with novel sugars and has developed the use of surfactants in sugar propellants.  The surfactants reduce viscosity in the melted propellant mix, making for easier casting.  They also tend to reduce burn rate, perhaps extending the range of feasible sugar motor designs.  Scott's day job?  Chemist at NASA KSC.  I love to hear him talk chemistry.  Makes my head swim.  

Jacobs Rocketry
- by Gary Jacobs, author of a precious 1979 booklet on making black powder rockets.  Mr. Jacobs has been using sugar propellant lately, and has developed a very nice website demonstrating it's production and use, as well as lots on rocketry in general.  Furthermore, he has generously placed that black powder motor book on the website - I learned several of my favorite techniques from that little book.  Highly recommended!


Richard Nakka's Experimental Rocketry  The premiere amateur rocketry site.  And his primary propellants are sugars!  I have learned more from Richard than from all others combined.  Excellent and authoritative technical details on sugar propellants and many other aspects of rocketry.  

Sugar Shot to Space - Led by Richard Nakka, assisted by many other sugar propellant proponents are developing a sugar rocket to reach space!

SugPro Discussion list  Most, if not all, of the folks you see here are members of this list.  If you have a deep interest in such things, are willing to be pleasant, polite, and do things legally and safely, then you might consider joining.  This is one of the bests lists I have encountered. 

Inverse Engineering:  Dan Pollino produces an outstanding website illustrating his processes and procedures for making large sugar motors.  Dan is a clever and dilligent experimenter who just doesn't know how to quit.  Thank goodness.  Currently working with a "flexible propellant" that is easy and safe to make, and not at all brittle like most sugar propellants are.  Dan now has three books out providing how-to details on his rocketry projects.  They are excellent, and highly recommended.

Scott's Experimental Rocketry  Scott Fintel has pioneered the use of KN/ER, a non-hygroscopic propellant made with the sugar-alcohol erythritol.  In late 2006 Scott launched an O-motor rocket with this propellant to over 29000 feet.  Scott also hosts pages from Jonathan Carter, who is working to develop colored flame sugar propellant.  

Randy's Rocketry - Randy Dormans recently tested an awsome 4-inch 6-grain "N" motor burning KN/SO.  Specs, photos and video is on his blog, which also includes photos of and videos from his on-board camera, getting nice footage of the dry lake beds of Southern CA.  

Serge Pipko - Russian chemist doing serious science with sugar propellants.  Link is to Babelfish translation into English.

Stuart Leslie:  Primary author for the Sugar Propellant Proposal to Tripoli Rocketry Association, for which I was grateful to tag along as junior author.  Stuart does beautiful work with modest equipment.

Scientific Group of Experimental Missile technology  (G.C.C.E.)  Sugar rocketry in Spain!  Salva Muņoz  English translation via Google

Alberto Gassol - Tijuana rocketry.  English Translation by Google  

Trailer Trash Aerospace - The Trailer boys make some sizeable motors, and rockets to fly them in.  They use sugar propellants quite a lot, and have a clear, simple instruction page for making KNO3/sorbitol propellant.  An excellent page on casting tools too.  

Flint Hapirat - working with sugar propellants, and developing some original and interesting ideas.  

Aerocon Systems - a righteous seller of rocketry stuff.  Run by Bob Fortune, Aerocon's offerings include a "sugar propellant experimenter's kit" along with lots of electronic goodies for testing, recovery.

Amateur Icelandic Rocketry (AIR) Three rocket aficianodos recently used recrystallized KN/Sucrose to launch what may be the first amateur rocket in Iceland.  AIR hosts a forum on amateur rocketry.  More exciting developments are in the works.

NERO   Dutch Federation for Rocket Research.   Began in 1959, it is one of the longest running rocketry organizations.  Uses sugar propellant, among others

VRO  Flemish Rocketry Organization  - Pioneers of KNO3/Sorbitol propellant.  Producers of essential works on sugar propellants, currently working to develop accurate simulations of KNO3/sucrose propellant burns.  

DARK - Danish Amateur Rocket Club - uses sugar propellants, among others.

McDonald Aerospace - Theo McDonald does experiments with KNO3/Sorbitol, as well as advanced hybrid rocket motors.

I am sure to be leaving out some very important folks -please let me know if I missed you or someone you know!  

Jimmy Yawn
Recrystallized Rocketry
Rev. 1/16/2012