Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5)
Space Advocacy | Education Outreach | Technology Development

The suitcase hybrid is not a new idea to HAL5. A friend and long time HAL5 member, Tim Pickens, built a couple of these some years ago for show and tell around Huntsville. HAL5 borrowed the suitcase hybrid frequently as part of education outreach tool. A decision was made in 2010 for HAL5 to build our own version with some modifications. Today, we pull out the suitecase several times a year to do demonstration of how does a hybrid rocket works. In the suitcase hybrid, the fuel is clear acrylic rod, and the oxidizer is nitrous oxide. The end result is that you can see the burning of the fuel grain though the clear plastic that gives a very bright glow. Another benefit of the suitcase hybrid is that we also have a steel motor case that we can insert different hybrid fuel grains in it like asphalt, wood, wax and even summer sausage.

Who doesn't love rockets? When HAL5 re-engage at VBAS Astronomy Day in 2005, we talked about what kind of hands on space activities that the kids will love. Model rockets are definitely cool, but they can get expensive if we wants to do a hundred kids in a day, and it can be a bit dangerous when dealing with solid propellant. Soda bottle water rockets are wet and fun, but muddy specially if we do it in a grass field. We ended up adopting the paper air rocket concept that several folks out there uses.

The rocket is made of paper, glue, candy foil cups, and tape. The launcher is a basic compressed air storage/delivery mechanism that is made up of pressure rated PVC tubes and sprinkler solenoid valve. The system is designed not to shoot the rocket very high, maybe 150 feet or so depending on the paper rocket and level of pressurization of the air. We have performed the make-n-launch paper air rockets at various local elementary and middle schools and Astronomy Day. Every couple of years, we would build new launcher and makes tweaks to the electronic control mechanisms. Today, the launcher has a cool control box that allows the launch director to monitor the amount of air pressure in the system via digital pressure gauge and the ability to fill and drain the system remotely.

HAL5 has the pleasure of being part of Art Huntsville annual Panoply Arts Festival STEAM Interactive activity since 2014. STEAM stands for "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, together with Arts (STEAM)." Panoply is the Southeast’s premier arts weekend where Huntsville’s innovative spark shines through a festival of art, music and more in downtown’s Big Spring Park. This is an awesome opportunity to bring STEAM activities to the kids. The arts aspect of the STEAM draw up on design principles and encouraging creative solutions. [ Learn More ]