Mission: Apogee - Lesson Plan
Design & Technology · STEM Enrichment
Lesson PlanMission: Apogee
Design, build and launch a stable model rocket — a classroom build session followed by a supervised outdoor launch.
Flight plan at a glance
Learning objectives
- ALLBuild a stable model rocket and explain why fins, mass and a nose cone affect flight.
- MOSTExplain thrust, weight and drag, and describe stability using centre of mass and centre of pressure.
- SOMEEvaluate and modify a design to improve stability or altitude, justifying changes with flight data.
Curriculum links
- D&T: design, make and evaluate; iterative design; technical knowledge of forces and materials.
- Science: forces; Newton's third law; air resistance and streamlining.
- Maths: calculate a target altitude using F=ma and SUVAT equations.
Equipment & resources
- Model rocket kits — body tube, nose cone, fin sheet, recovery system, launch lug, wadding
- Cutting mats, safe cutting tools, sandpaper, adhesive (epoxy-resin), rulers
- Launch only: launch pad with blast deflector, electrical igniter & controller, model rocket motors (1.4S), eye protection, fire bucket/extinguisher, first aid
- Data kit — clinometer/altitude tracker, tape measure, stopwatch, recording sheet
Pre-flight safety & risk assessment
A written risk assessment, in line with your employer's policy, must be in place before any rocketry activity is run. The build session below uses no motors or ignition indoors; propellant motors are used only at the supervised outdoor launch.
CLEAPSS provides health & safety support for practical work in D&T and science. Member schools can access CLEAPSS model risk assessments and the CLEAPSS Helpline — consult these for current advice on solid-propellant model rocket motors and ignition before planning a launch, and align your own risk assessment with their recommendations. Where a suitable CLEAPSS model risk assessment exists, adapt it to your site and cohort rather than starting from scratch.
Classroom · build
- No motors, igniters or open flame in the classroom at any point.
- Cutting tools used on mats with correct technique and close supervision.
- Keep the workspace clear of trip hazards; bin offcuts safely.
Outdoors · launch
- Follow the UK Rocketry Association (UKRA) Safety Code; motors are UN 1.4S.
- Open site, clear of buildings, people, dry vegetation and overhead obstructions; low winds only.
- Eye protection for all; electrical ignition from the specified safe distance with an audible countdown and range-clear check.
- On a misfire, wait a safe interval and engage the safety pin before approaching the pad.
Launch sequence
Sit down and introduce what a model rocket is and how a solid-propellant motor produces thrust. Watch a couple of short launch videos (easily found on YouTube), then discuss what students notice — the fast powered climb, the coast to apogee, and parachute recovery. Emphasise that the motor is the one genuinely hazardous component.
Decode a motor designation such as A6-4 (see the reference below) and compare the A, B, C impulse classes — each letter up roughly doubles the total push. Handle motors safely: keep them away from heat, flame and friction, never modify or dismantle them, and store them in their original packaging in a secure location until the launch.
Thrust vs weight; drag and streamlining; why stability matters. Introduce centre of mass sitting ahead of centre of pressure, and the job of fins and the nose cone. Demonstrate the swing test.
Students assemble body tube, fins (using the alignment jig), nose cone, recovery system and launch lug. Circulate to check fin alignment and glue joints — the two biggest causes of unstable flight.
Swing-test each rocket for stability, log design choices, and predict which builds will fly highest and straightest. Use the altitude method below to estimate a target apogee — to be tested at launch.
Deliver the safety briefing, set the launch range and safe-distance line, and assign roles (range safety, countdown, trackers, recovery).
Launch in rotation with a full countdown and range-clear check each time. Trackers record altitude (clinometer) and flight time; teams note recovery outcome.
Compare results against predictions: which designs flew highest or straightest, and why? Frame improvements as the next iteration — a "Mark II" design.
DECODE THE MOTOR CODE EXAMPLE
- AImpulse class — the total push. Each letter up (A→B→C) roughly doubles it.
- 6Average thrust in newtons (N) while the motor burns.
- 4Ejection delay in seconds from burnout to the parachute charge.
Estimate the apogee · F = ma + SUVAT
Change the values to form your own estimate
burn t₁ = 0.5 s · g = 9.8 m/s²
W = mg = 0.74 N
Net F = 6 − 0.74 = 5.3 N
a = F ÷ m = 5.3 ÷ 0.075 = 71 m/s²
v = u + at₁ = 71 × 0.5 = 35 m/s
s₁ = ½at₁² = ½ × 71 × 0.5² ≈ 8.9 m
s₂ = v² ÷ 2g = 35² ÷ 19.6 ≈ 62 m
Ignores air resistance, so this is an upper estimate — the measured apogee will be lower. That gap is the drag you'll investigate at launch.
Adaptation & assessment
Support
- Pre-cut fin templates and a ready-made alignment jig.
- Writing frame for the evaluation.
- Paired build roles for shared tasks.
Stretch
- Design an original fin shape or count and justify it.
- Change one variable (fin size, mass, motor impulse) as a fair test.
- Predict apogee, then compare with measured altitude.
Assessment
- Stability swing-test outcome and build quality.
- Use of key vocabulary in the evaluation.
- Data used to justify a design improvement.