Jamaica's First High-Powered Rocketry Organisation
Building the next generation of Caribbean aerospace engineers through hands-on rocketry education and competition.
The Caribbean Apex Challenge brings together student teams from across Jamaica to design, build, and launch high-powered rockets in a single-day competition on August 16, 2026.
Explore Competition →We develop and test KNSB hybrid propulsion systems built in Jamaica. Our 29mm motors are designed, manufactured, and validated by our own research team.
View Technology →Join our team of engineers, educators, and organizers helping to build the first structured high-powered rocketry programme in Jamaica.
Volunteer Now →Lignum Propulsion is Jamaica's first high-powered rocketry organisation, established to advance STEM education through practical aerospace engineering. We build real rockets, test real motors, and inspire the next generation of Jamaican scientists and engineers.
Our work bridges the gap between classroom theory and real-world application. Every launch is a lesson in physics, chemistry, and engineering design.
Who We Are
A team of engineers and educators united by a single ambition: to put Jamaica on the aerospace map.
Lignum Propulsion was founded to fill a gap that has long existed in Caribbean STEM education: access to practical, hands-on aerospace engineering. We design and build rockets, develop our own propulsion systems, and create the competitive infrastructure that motivates young people to pursue science and engineering.
The name "Lignum" is a nod to Jamaica's national tree, the Lignum Vitae, one of the hardest and most resilient woods on earth. We chose it to reflect our commitment to building something enduring right here in Jamaica.
Every project we undertake is a learning opportunity. We document our work, share our findings, and build curriculum that makes aerospace engineering accessible to all Jamaican students.
We don't import solutions. We build them. From propellant formulation to airframe fabrication, we develop capabilities locally using materials and methods suited to the Caribbean context.
High-powered rocketry is a serious discipline. We operate to international safety standards, maintain rigorous testing protocols, and prioritise the safety of our members and the public at every launch.
Our strength comes from our community. We welcome engineers, educators, students, and enthusiasts at every level. If you want to build, you have a place here.
Caribbean Apex Challenge
The Lignum National Rocketry Competition. Jamaica's first student high-powered rocketry event. August 16, 2026.
LNRC 2026 is a single-day high-powered rocketry competition for Jamaican student teams. Teams design, build, and fly a rocket to maximise performance within strict class specifications. Judging covers altitude, recovery success, technical design, and safety.
Teams choose between two rocket classes based on airframe diameter. The 2-inch class rewards precision engineering in a compact form. The 3-inch class allows more design freedom and higher thrust. Each class is judged independently with its own winner.
All teams use the same Lignum Propulsion KNSB motor: a 29mm x 165mm hybrid unit delivering approximately 40N average thrust over a 2-second burn. Standardising the motor means the winner is determined by airframe design and recovery strategy, not engine selection.
Teams may fabricate their own airframe from cardboard, phenolic, fibreglass, or PVC. Nose cone geometry is free-choice. Fins must be trapezoidal and located at the base of the motor section. A launch lug or rail button is required for launch rail compatibility. Teams must simulate their rocket before competition day to verify altitude and stability.
Every rocket must fly with a functional recovery system. Ejection charge and parachute deployment are evaluated as part of scoring. Rockets that land without a deployed chute are ineligible for altitude points. Safe recovery is paramount.
Each team receives one official launch attempt on competition day. Teams are responsible for all pre-launch assembly and checklist completion. A Lignum Propulsion safety officer will inspect every rocket before it is approved for flight.
Scores combine altitude achieved, successful recovery, technical design documentation, and safety checklist compliance. Points are weighted to reward both performance and engineering rigour. See the full scoring breakdown below.
All teams must simulate their rocket before competition day. Simulation is a safety requirement, not optional. It tells you how high your rocket will fly so you can tune your design to hit 500 m, and verifies that your rocket is stable before it leaves the rail.
We recommend OpenRocket, the free, open-source rocketry simulation tool used by student teams worldwide. Download it at openrocket.info. Model your exact rocket geometry, load the LP-KNSB-29-165 motor file, and run altitude and stability simulations before you finalise your airframe design.
All teams must comply with the following minimum specifications.
| Specification | 2-Inch Class | 3-Inch Class |
|---|---|---|
| Body Tube Diameter | 2.0 inches (50.8 mm) | 3.0 inches (76.2 mm) |
| Minimum Rocket Length | 60 cm | 75 cm |
| Motor Mount | 29 mm motor tube | 29 mm motor tube |
| Fin Configuration | Minimum 3 fins, trapezoidal | Minimum 3 fins, trapezoidal |
| Nose Cone | Any geometry | Any geometry |
| Recovery System | Parachute required | Parachute required |
| Launch Interface | Rail button or launch lug | Rail button or launch lug |
| Airframe Material | Cardboard, phenolic, fibreglass, or PVC | Cardboard, phenolic, fibreglass, or PVC |
Provided to all teams. Propellant formulation and casing are standardised.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Propellant Type | KNSB (65% KNO3 / 35% Sorbitol) |
| Casing Diameter | 29 mm |
| Casing Length | 165 mm (16.5 cm) |
| Average Thrust | ~40 N |
| Burn Duration | ~2 seconds |
| Total Impulse | ~80 Ns |
| Motor Class | F / Low G |
Total possible score: 100 points per class.
Points awarded proportionally based on highest altitude achieved within the class. Top performer earns full 40 points.
Full points for successful parachute deployment and safe landing. Partial credit for partial deployment. Zero for no recovery.
Pre-flight design documentation reviewed by judges. Awards thorough engineering rationale, stability analysis, and build quality.
Pre-launch safety inspection completed by Lignum Propulsion safety officer. Points awarded for full compliance with all checklist items.
Official announcement of LNRC 2026. Competition rules, class specifications, and motor details published.
School teams may begin registering. Maximum team size is 6 members. Faculty advisor required. Registration closes when capacity is reached.
Registered teams receive their full competition kit, including the KNSB motor, Arduino Nano, sensors, CubeSat shell materials, and all avionics components needed to build their rocket and PicoSat.
Single-day event. Morning: safety inspections and pre-launch checks. Afternoon: flight windows. Evening: results and awards ceremony.
Whether you're registering a school team or volunteering to help run the event, we want you involved.
Research and Development
Pioneering sustainable rocket propulsion from Jamaican biomass.
Our primary research focuses on a novel hybrid rocket propellant derived from pyrolised coconut husk, a renewable agricultural waste material abundant across the Caribbean. The fuel grain is paired with a manganese-guanine catalyst and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂, 85–90%) as a clean oxidiser, producing a propellant that is renewable, non-toxic, and locally manufacturable.
When ignited, the hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water and oxygen, eliminating the chlorine and nitrogen-based pollutants that conventional propellants release directly into the stratosphere. This makes our system one of the cleanest hybrid propellant configurations currently under active investigation.
Conventional rocket propellants (RP-1, hydrazine, ammonium perchlorate composites) release carbon dioxide, soot, and nitrogen oxides into the stratosphere, where recovery takes decades. Research shows a 1% rise in global rocket launches increases greenhouse gas emissions by 1.13%.
Approximately 20 million tons of coconut waste is produced annually worldwide, most of it discarded or burned. By pyrolising this waste, we produce a carbon-rich fuel grain suited for hybrid combustion, turning an agricultural byproduct into aerospace technology and using Jamaica as the proving ground.
Our formal research investigates both the combustion performance and the full environmental impact of the coconut husk / Mn-Gu + H₂O₂ propellant system in an active subscale hybrid motor. This fills a genuine gap, as no prior study has experimentally validated this propellant combination with a life cycle environmental assessment.
Key targets include achieving a Specific Impulse ≥ 80% of the HTPB/N₂O baseline, combustion efficiency ≥ 70%, and a Weighted Emission Index at least 40% lower than conventional propellants, while keeping fuel synthesis cost at or below USD 20/kg.
Join the Team
Help us build Jamaica's first organised high-powered rocketry programme. We need engineers, educators, photographers, and organisers.
We're a small, ambitious team. Whether you contribute technical expertise or logistical support, your time makes a real difference.
Propulsion testing, airframe design review, stability analysis, instrumentation, or safety systems. Background in physics, engineering, or chemistry preferred.
Develop curriculum, run school workshops, mentor competing teams, or help us communicate rocketry concepts to young students across Jamaica.
Range safety, logistics coordination, registration management, and competition day operations for LNRC 2026.
Photography, videography, social media, and documentation. Help us tell the story of high-powered rocketry in Jamaica.
Register your team for the Lignum National Rocketry Competition 2026. Registration is open from April 7, 2026. Slots are limited, so complete this form to secure your place.
Have a question about the competition rules? Anyone can submit, including teams, advisors, educators, or interested participants. The Q&A system opens May 1, 2026.
Team registration for LNRC 2026 opens in March 2026. Follow the steps below to prepare your school's entry.
Assemble a team of 2 to 6 student members from your school. You'll also need a faculty advisor who will serve as your team's point of contact with Lignum Propulsion.
Decide whether your team will compete in the 2-inch or 3-inch airframe class. Review the technical specifications on the Competition page before committing.
When registration opens in March 2026, complete the official team registration form. Slots are limited. Teams that register early will have more time to prepare their design documentation.
For updates on registration, rules, and timelines, email us at lignumpropulsion@gmail.com or check back on this site regularly.