Model and High Power Rocketry Club
Zia Spacemodelers rocketry club is Section #517 of the National Association of Rocketry.
Welcome to the Zia Spacemodelers Web site! Our club serves rocketeers in the northern New Mexico area around Los Alamos, Española, and Santa Fe. We cover both model rocketry and high power rocketry activities. All rocketeers are welcome to attend our monthly launches.
Our rocketry club was formed in 1991 to promote safe rocketry in Northern New Mexico. Our club members are active in both model rocketry and high power rocketry. Model rockets use motors in the 1/8A to G impulse range, available from companies such as Estes, Quest, Semroc, and FlisKits. Model Rocketry is a great activity for young people to learn about science while having fun. High power rockets use motors in the H and above impulse classes, and typically weigh over two pounds (and can weigh hundreds of pounds). It is a great hobby for adults who want to go beyond the limits of what you can do with model rockets.
Activities
Zia Spacemodelers rocketry club holds monthly public launches north of Española, New Mexico. We also work with schools, scouting organizations, 4-H clubs, and other youth groups to explain hobby rocketry, conduct demonstration launches, help with rocket building sessions, and provide launch facilities to youth groups that want to fly rockets that they have built in their programs.
For advanced rocketeers, we conduct high power activities at our monthly launches. We have FAA waivers for flights to 5,000 feet AGL. Because of our field size, we can have a maximum of K impulse class motors allowed at out launches. We also have member special interest groups that cover flying radio-controlled rocket gliders and electronic payloads such as altimeters, flight data loggers, and on-board video cameras.
For NAR members interested in competition, we hold NAR sanctioned rocket contests throughout the year. Our club is also active in competing with other Sections in New Mexico and nearby states, and we regularly send a contingent to NARAM, the National Association of Rocketry's Annual Meet in August.
Contact Information
The contact information for our club officers is given in the table below. Also, we list the contact information for members who head a Special Interest Group (S.I.G.) in various activities; you can contact them if you have questions about those activities. If the member has an e-mail address, their name will be an e-mail link that you can click on.
| Name | Phone | Office (Special Interest Group) |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Beach | 505-672-0000 | Senior Advisor (Electronic Payloads) |
| Ron Romero | 505-983-0000 | President (Radio Control Gliders) |
| Joyce Guzik | 505-672-0000 | Secretary-Treasurer |
| Drew Ortiz | 505-983-0000 | (High Power Rocketry) |
| Rob Hermes | 505-662-0000 | (School Groups and TARC) |
| Mark Hamilton | 505-346-0000 | (NAR Competition) |
If you have any questions about our club or any of its activities, please feel free to contact any of the members in the contact information table. We are always happy to help out new rocketeers or anyone with a question about rocketry!