Dutch English
Home page Organizational Structure Launches Projects Rocket motors Pictures NERO History Join NERO Definitions Safety Research Links Sitemap Search
NERO Projects
Logo  

Projects and Rockets
Since 1959 NERO members design, build and launch rockets. On this and the many subsequent linked pages you'll find information about some of the many NERO rockets. From the first documented rocket the H1 up to the recent H10, that will compete for the European altitude record.
Three types of amateur rocketry exists:
Model rocketry: small lightweight rockets that are mostly exact scale models of their big brothers. Small engines are used and the rockets are mostly made of lightweight - non metal - materials.
High power rocketry: large rockets, but the use of metals is restricted to the motor casing and small parts. Often a rocket kit is used, and the motors need to be bought from designated suppliers. A strict certification system is used for buying motors and launching rockets.
Experimental rocketry: the "no restrictions" class of rocket building. Rockets are build out of metal (aluminium) and the motors are developed from scratch. NERO builds experimental rockets and on these pages we'll show our rocket motors.
 
  The NERO has member groups for experimental rocketry and modelrocketry.
 

 

  

Experimental rocketry [Inhoud] [Top]
 
Our present-day rockets are sounding rockets, built to provide insight into the dynamical behaviour of the rockets during flight. These rockets are therefore equipped with measure and control systems which collect flight data and control the flight itself respectively. In order to recover the rockets without sustaining damage, 1 or 2 stage parachute systems are used.

NERO uses a numbering scheme for its rockets. For instance every NERO Haarlem rocket is designated with the letter H (for Haarlem), followed by a number. For each (planned) flight of the rocket, a subsequent letter is added. The first flight of the H6 is called H6a, the second H6b and so on.

On the linked pages below you will find links to pages providing a lot of information about some of the rockets which have been built and launched by NERO during the last decade. Around 20 web pages are given containing general overviews of the sub-systems used in the rockets as well as extensive reports on their respective flights, including what went right and what wrong.

The H1 to H4 rockets were small experimental rockets. Very little can be found about these rockets in the NERO archives.
This is different for the more recent rockets. An increasing amount of data is available for these rockets and the following pages will show this.

The H10 and H11 are specially developed to break the European altitude record.

 
The following table provides an overview of the development of NERO Haarlem rockets.
Rocket Year Length Mass Altitude Parachutes Stages Result
H1 1970 35 cm ? 500 m No 1 Not recovered
H2 1971 73 cm ? 300 m No 1 Not recovered
H3 1974 100 cm ? 1800 m No 1 Recovered
H4 1983 173 cm 7.8 kg 687 m 1 1 Landed
H5 1987 210 cm 9.9 kg 1680 m 2 1 Crashed
H6a 1992 174 cm 8.5 kg 3400 m 2 1 Landed
H6b 1994 174 cm 8.8 kg 2960 m 2 1 Landed
H6c 1996 181 cm 9.3 kg 1300 m 2 1 Crashed
H7a 1995 252 cm 14.2 kg 1000 m 1 2 Landed/Impacted
H7b 1997 212 cm 13.5 kg 900 m 3 2 No separation, Landed
H7c 1997 215 cm 14.1 kg 20 m 3 2 Motor failure, crashed
H7d 1998 205 cm 13.2 kg 1830 m 3 2 Landed/Landed
H7e 1999 220 cm 13.2 kg 1944 m 3 2 Landed & slightly damaged

H7f

2000

220 cm

±10kg

1450 m

2

1

 Landed & slightly damaged
H8a 1999 159 cm 8,2 kg 880 m 1 1 Landed & damaged
H9a 2002 184 cm 16,3 kg 1950 m 2 1 Landed
H11a 2004  169 cm 9,7kg 1400 m 2 1 Landed
H11b 2004  169 cm 9,7kg 1475 m 2 1 Landed
H11c 2004  169 cm 9,7kg 1433 m 2 1 Landed
H10a 2005  ±280 cm ±20kg 1160 m 3 2 Landed/Crashed
H11d 2005  190 cm 13.2kg 960 m 2 1 Landed
H11e 2005  190 cm 13.2kg 0 m 2 1 Exploded in tower
H11f 2006  160 cm ±9kg ±1000 m 2 1 Crashed
H12 2006 159cm ±9kg ±1500 m 2 1 To launch
Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the H1, H2, H3 en H4.
Simple rockets from the early days of NERO, launched from the local beach.
Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the design and the flight of the H5.
The first rocket built according to concepts still in use today.
Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the design and the flights of the H6.
The most successful flight to-date, providing a wealth of data.
Blue=new Red=Visited Link Read more about the design and the flights of the H7.
The first two-stage rocket from NERO.
Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the design and the flights of the H8.
A revolutionary canard-controlled rocket.
No English page Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the H9.
The rocket with on-board video, GPS and roll-control.
Blue=new Red=visited Read more about the H10.
The rocket that will break the European altitude record.
Blue=new Red=visited Read more about the H11, the qualification rocket of NERO.
Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the design and the flights of the E-36.
The first hybrid rocket in Europe, launched on September 20, 1996.
No English page Blue=new Red=visited Read more about the unique lightweight launch rail developed by NERO.
Top