Jamaica's First High-Powered Rocketry Organisation
Building the next generation of Caribbean aerospace engineers through hands-on rocketry education and competition.
The Lignum National Rocketry Competition brings teams from across Jamaica together to design, build, and launch high-powered rockets in a single-day competition on August 15, 2026.
Explore Competition →We develop and test KNSB composite propulsion systems built in Jamaica. Our 34 mm F-class 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 is a non-profit organisation 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 run the competitive infrastructure that motivates young people to pursue science and engineering.
The name "Lignum" is a nod to the Lignum Vitae, Jamaica's national flower. The tree that bears it yields one of the hardest and most resilient woods on earth, and we chose it to reflect our commitment to building something enduring right here in Jamaica.
We engineer our own KNSB composite motors, airframes, recovery systems, and avionics. Every component flown at LNRC is locally produced and validated by our team.
We build curriculum, run workshops, and mentor teams through their first build. Aerospace engineering is taught by people who actually fly rockets.
The national competition. Standardised motor, free to enter, judged on precision and recovery. The proving ground for the next generation of Jamaican aerospace engineers.
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.
Lignum Propulsion is run by a small team of builders. Between us we design and manufacture the motors, produce the competition kits, and run every part of LNRC 2026, from registration to launch day.
Founded Lignum Propulsion to bring high-powered rocketry to Jamaica. Leads engineering, motor development, and the overall direction of the organisation and LNRC.
Manages official communications, announcements, and correspondence with competing teams, volunteers, and partners.
Builds competition hardware and assembles the team kits, and keeps day-to-day workshop operations moving.
Runs marketing and public outreach, growing the community of students, schools, and supporters around LNRC.
Supports day-to-day operations and event logistics for LNRC 2026.
Team registration for 2026 has closed, but launch day doesn't happen without volunteers. Join us on the range.
Lignum National Rocketry Competition
Jamaica's first national high-powered rocketry competition. Build a real rocket. Fly a real payload. Launch from Golden Grove, St. Thomas on August 15, 2026.
Registration closed · 22 teams · 99 participants
LNRC 2026 is the first time anyone in Jamaica has been able to design, build, and fly a real high-powered rocket as part of a national competition. Your team will be handed a real motor, real avionics, and a real airframe kit. You will spend three months building it, simulating it, and arguing about it. Then on August 15, you stand on the coast at Golden Grove, St. Thomas and watch it fly.
The mission: hit exactly 300 m, eject your PicoSat at apogee so it logs the descent, predict its landing coordinate to the metre, and recover a raw egg intact. Lowest score wins - because in real aerospace, precision matters more than power.
This is the kind of thing that ends up on a university application. It's also free.
Registration ran via the LIGNUM website and has now closed at capacity (22 teams, 99 participants). Teams needed a minimum of 2 members, with no maximum team size, no student requirement, and no faculty advisor requirement. There is noregistration fee. Registration closes when capacity is reached.
The Rules Q&A system is open at lignumpropulsion.com/#qa. Moderators answer team questions every Monday and close the weekly cycle on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. Jamaica Time.
Registered teams receive their competition kit, which includes an inert demo motor (mass simulator), the body tube and matching ogive nose cone for the airframe class selected at registration (2-inch or 3-inch), the Arduino-based PicoSat avionics, sensors (BME280, MPU-6050), raw ripstop parachute fabric and shroud line (teams design and build their own parachutes), and all components needed to build the rocket and PicoSat. Each team's allocation of 3 live LP-KNSB-34-165 motors stays in Lignum Propulsion's custody and is flown at official launch days and on competition day.
Single-day event. Morning: safety inspections and pre-launch checks. Afternoon: flight windows. Evening: results and awards ceremony.
The full breakdown: airframe classes, motor specifications, recovery requirements, and the inverted scoring system used to determine the class champions.
Teams choose between two rocket classes based on airframe inner diameter. The 2-inch class rewards precision engineering in a compact form. The 3-inch class allows greater internal volume for payload integration and recovery packing. Each class is judged independently with its own winner.
Every team uses the same Lignum Propulsion KNSB composite motor: LP-KNSB-34-165, a 33.4 mm x 165 mm F76-class motor delivering approximately 76 N average thrust over a 0.84 s burn (~64 Ns total impulse). Standardising the motor means the winner is determined by airframe design, mass management, and recovery strategy, not motor selection.
Be creative: you can build with almost any structurally sound material. Common choices are cardboard or phenolic body tube, fibreglass, PVC, plywood, balsa, and corrugated plastic (coroplast, an excellent fin material that comes in your kit). No approvals or notifications needed: if it meets the requirements, you can fly it. Every rocket passes the pre-launch safety inspection. The kit includes an ogive nose cone sized to the registered class; alternate nose cone geometries are freely allowed, no notification needed. Fin count and shape are free, provided fins are symmetrically spaced and securely bonded. A rail button or launch lug is required. Teams must simulate their rocket before competition day to verify altitude and stability.
Dual recovery is mandatory: the rocket body and the PicoSat each need their own independent recovery system. Main parachute deployment and PicoSat ejection are both controlled by the onboard avionics flight computer. The motor has no ejection delay charge. Any component striking the ground without a deployed parachute is a safety violation and disqualifies the flight.
Each team receives one official launch attempt on competition day. Teams are responsible for all pre-launch assembly and checklist completion. The Lead Rocket Inspector inspects every rocket before it is cleared to fly.
LNRC uses an inverted scoring system - the lowest final score wins. Penalties are added for altitude deviation and landing-prediction error; bonuses are subtracted for egg survival and PicoSat data quality. 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 the 300 m apogee target, and verifies that your rocket is stable before it leaves the rail.
We highly 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-34-165 motor file, and run altitude and stability simulations before you finalise your airframe design. The official LP-KNSB-34-165.eng motor file for OpenRocket is available to download now from this website, so teams can simulate before kits arrive. Use this file for all simulations - it is the only authorised thrust curve for LNRC 2026.
All teams must comply with the following minimum specifications.
| Specification | 2-Inch Class | 3-Inch Class |
|---|---|---|
| Body Tube Inner Diameter | 2.0 in (50.8 mm) | 3.0 in (76.2 mm) |
| Minimum Rocket Height | 90 cm (~3 ft) | 90 cm (~3 ft) |
| Maximum Rocket Height | 168 cm (~5.5 ft) | 168 cm (~5.5 ft) |
| Motor Mount Inner Diameter | 34 mm | 34 mm |
| Nose Cone | Ogive (kit-supplied); alternates allowed with email notice | Ogive (kit-supplied); alternates allowed with email notice |
| Fin Geometry | Any (symmetrically spaced, securely bonded) | Any (symmetrically spaced, securely bonded) |
| Recovery System | Dual recovery (required) | Dual recovery (required) |
| Launch Interface | Rail button or launch lug | Rail button or launch lug |
| Airframe Material | Cardboard/phenolic, fibreglass, PVC, plywood, balsa, or corrugated plastic | Cardboard/phenolic, fibreglass, PVC, plywood, balsa, or corrugated plastic |
Every team has an allocation of three motors, flown at official Lignum launch days and on competition day. Live motors and igniters remain in Lignum Propulsion's central custody at all times: they are never distributed with kits, shipped, or held by teams. Each kit instead includes one inert demo motor (mass simulator), painted safety orange and marked INERT - DEMO, for motor mount fit checks, CG and stability testing, swing tests, and pad practice. It is not flight capable and contains no propellant.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Designation | LP-KNSB-34-165 |
| Propellant Type | KNSB (Potassium Nitrate / Sorbitol composite) |
| Casing Material | Rigid PVC (1" nominal, Sch 40) |
| Casing Outer Diameter | 33.4 mm (1.315", nom. 1" PVC) |
| Casing Length | 165 mm (16.5 cm) |
| Propellant Mass | ~77 g |
| Average Thrust | ~76 N |
| Burn Duration | ~0.84 seconds |
| Total Impulse | ~64 Ns |
| Motor Classification | F76 (NAR/Tripoli impulse class) |
| Peak Thrust | 94 N |
| Average Chamber Pressure | 225 psi |
| Peak Chamber Pressure | 287 psi |
| Specific Impulse (Isp) | 84.5 s |
| Casing Inner Diameter | 26.6 mm (1.049") |
| Casing Wall Thickness | 3.38 mm (0.133") |
| Total Loaded Mass | ~172 g |
| Hardware Mass | ~95 g |
| Grain Config | Single BATES segment, 25.4 mm OD × 115.9 mm, 12.7 mm core |
| Nozzle | Bentonite-epoxy composite plug, 5.56 mm throat, 11.1 mm exit |
The motor has no ejection delay charge. All deployment events (main parachute, PicoSat ejection) are triggered by the onboard avionics flight computer.
The official LP-KNSB-34-165.eng thrust curve file is available to download now, directly from this website - you do not need to wait for your competition kit to begin simulating. Load it into OpenRocket to model your exact rocket. Recommended simulation conditions for Golden Grove, St. Thomas: 30°C, 1013 mbar, sea level, easterly winds 3–5 m/s, launch angle 5°.
↓ Download LP-KNSB-34-165.engThis is the only authorised motor file for LNRC 2026. Do not use generic F-class curves from other databases. In OpenRocket the motor appears as LPKNSB34165PVC, which is the correct file.
The official tangent-ogive nose cone models for both airframe classes are available as 3D-printable STL files. These are the same geometry as the PLA nose cone supplied in your competition kit (each kit includes the cone matching the team's registered airframe class). Use them to reprint a damaged cone, print spares, or study the shape in your simulations. All 3D-printed kit parts are PLA. Note: the shoulder section is deliberately smaller than the body tube's outer diameter so it slides inside the tube; this is correct, not a print error.
↓ 2-Inch Nose Cone STL ↓ 3-Inch Nose Cone STL2-inch: 50.8 mm base, 200 mm ogive, 47.0 mm shoulder. 3-inch: 76.2 mm base, 230 mm ogive, 71.6 mm shoulder. Alternate nose cone geometries are freely allowed; anything you fly just has to pass the pre-launch safety inspection.
New to flight simulation? These tutorials take you from a blank OpenRocket window to a fully simulated rocket. Watch them, then load the official LP-KNSB-34-165 motor file above and model your own design. The official written tutorials at openrocket.info/tutorials are also worth reading.
A full walkthrough of OpenRocket for first-time users: the interface, adding components, and understanding what the numbers mean. Start here.
A quick introduction to the Rocket Design tab: body tubes, nose cones, fins, and how a basic airframe comes together.
A start-to-finish design of a full rocket, including motor selection, stability margin, and running the flight simulation.
Your kit includes 1 yard of ripstop nylon fabric and 30 feet of 1.5 mm shroud line. Parachute design is up to your team: any shape or size that meets the recovery rules. The Kit Contents document has a proven example design, and this tutorial shows the technique for cutting and assembling a ripstop nylon parachute.
A simple, proven method for cutting a ripstop nylon canopy and attaching shroud lines. The same technique works at any size you choose for your design.
These videos are independent community tutorials, not produced by Lignum Propulsion. General techniques apply; always follow the LNRC 2026 Game Manual where they differ.
The lowest final score wins. Final Score = (Altitude Penalty + Accuracy Penalty) - (Bonuses Earned). Bonuses are large, so a well-executed flight produces a strongly negative score.
| Tier | Altitude Range | Score Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect Tier | 290 m to 310 m | -1,000 points (maximum bonus) |
| High Tier | 250-289 m or 311-350 m | -500 points |
| Mid Tier | 200-249 m or 351-400 m | -300 points |
| Baseline | 100-199 m or 401+ m | -100 points |
| Disqualified | Below 100 m or total vehicle loss | 0 points (no bonus) |
Before launch each team submits a Predicted Landing Coordinate (PLC) - the exact location where they expect the PicoSat to land. The penalty is:
Example: 10 m off target = 100 penalty points. 25 m off = 250 penalty points. 50 m off = 500 penalty points.
Raw egg payload recovered with no cracks or leaks visible to the naked eye on inspection by a flight official.
Complete, clean dataset (altitude, temperature, humidity) covering the full descent from apogee to landing.
Well-labelled, clearly presented graphs of all three sensor streams submitted at the post-flight data window. Up to -200 pts.
There is no registration fee. Participation is free for all eligible teams. Register at lignumpropulsion.com.
All three documents are authoritative for LNRC 2026. Teams should read the Game Manual in full. The Rules Summary and Kit Contents documents are companion references.
The full, authoritative rulebook for the Lignum National Rocketry Competition. Covers eligibility, technical requirements, scoring, safety, and event procedures.
Download PDF →Quick-reference summary of the most-asked competition rules. Use this for a fast lookup; the Game Manual is the source of truth.
Download PDF →Component-by-component listing of every part inside the competition kit, plus parachute assembly guidance and non-kit component rules.
Download PDF →Price list (JMD) for replacement and additional parts beyond the kit - sensors, batteries, body tubes, nose cones, motors, and custom 3D-printed parts.
Download PDF →How safety is managed at every Lignum event: RSO authority, motor and igniter custody, launch day procedures, range layout, weather limits, and workshop safety. Applies to everyone on site.
Download PDF →Help us run the event - engineers, educators, photographers, and event-day support all welcome.
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.
Launch day is August 15, and 22 teams are counting on the range crew. Timers, recovery spotters, pad assistants, registration desk, first aid, media - there is a job for you whether or not you know rockets.
We're a small, ambitious team. Whether you contribute technical expertise or logistical support, your time makes a real difference.
Get hands-on with the rockets. Help run motor static fires, review team airframe designs, work through stability and trajectory calculations, set up data-logging instrumentation, or audit our pre-flight safety procedures. Engineers, physicists, chemists, machinists, and skilled builders all welcome - if you know how things work mechanically or electronically, you fit here.
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.
Team registration for LNRC 2026 closed at full capacity: 22 teams and 99 participants are confirmed. If you registered and need to update your team's details, email lignumpropulsion@gmail.com. Everyone else: we would love to have you on the range crew - volunteer for launch day.
Before you compete: every participant (and a parent or guardian for anyone under 18) must read and sign the Participant Agreement & Liability Waiver (PDF) before taking part in any build, test, or launch.
Have a question about the competition rules? Anyone can submit, including teams, educators, or interested participants. The Q&A system opens May 30, 2026.
Last updated: July 2026
Lignum Propulsion is a non-profit organisation based in Jamaica. This policy explains what personal information we collect through this website and how we use it.
When you submit a form on this site (team registration, the rules Q&A, or the volunteer application), we collect the information you enter: names, contact details, school or organisation, age where asked, and the content of your message. We do not collect payment information through this website, and we do not use tracking or advertising cookies.
We use this information only to organise and run Lignum Propulsion activities: confirming registrations, distributing kits, answering questions, coordinating volunteers, communicating event logistics, and supporting safety (for example emergency contact details). We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it with third parties except where needed to run the event or where the law requires.
Form submissions are processed by Netlify, our website host, and delivered to us. This site also loads fonts from Google Fonts and embeds videos from YouTube; when you play an embedded video, YouTube's own privacy policy applies. We take reasonable steps to keep the information we hold secure and to keep it no longer than needed.
Many LNRC participants are under 18. Information about minors is collected only for event participation, with parent or guardian consent gathered through the Participant Agreement, and is handled with additional care.
To see, correct, or delete the information we hold about you or your team, email lignumpropulsion@gmail.com and we will action it promptly.
Last updated: July 2026
By using this website you agree to these terms. Lignum Propulsion is a non-profit organisation based in Jamaica.
The content on this site, including the Game Manual, Rules Summary, Kit Contents, Additional Parts Catalogue, Safety Policy, motor files, and 3D model files, is provided for LNRC participants and the public for information and educational use. You may download and print these materials for participation in Lignum Propulsion activities. You may not present them as your own or use them commercially without our written permission.
This site and its downloads are provided "as is". While we work to keep everything accurate and current, we make no warranty that the content is error-free. Simulation files and specifications are engineering references, not guarantees of performance. Where documents conflict, the current LNRC 2026 Game Manual is authoritative.
Nothing on this site is an instruction to build or fly rocket motors or other energetic devices. Live motors and igniters used in LNRC remain in Lignum Propulsion's custody and are flown only at official supervised events. Participation in Lignum Propulsion activities is governed by the Game Manual, the Safety Policy, and the Participant Agreement & Liability Waiver.
To the fullest extent permitted by the laws of Jamaica, Lignum Propulsion is not liable for any loss arising from your use of this website or reliance on its content. These terms are governed by the laws of Jamaica.
Questions about these terms: lignumpropulsion@gmail.com.
Registration for LNRC 2026 has closed at full capacity (22 teams). The steps below are kept for reference for registered teams.
Assemble a team of at least 2 members. There is no maximum team size, no student requirement, and no faculty advisor requirement.
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. Your kit is built for the class you select: it includes only that class's body tube and matching nose cone.
Registration opened May 16, 2026 and closed once the 22-team capacity was reached. There was no registration fee.
For updates on registration, rules, and timelines, email us at lignumpropulsion@gmail.com or submit a question via the Q&A form.