Introduction

The LUNAR handbook has been prepared by the members of LUNAR (the Livermore Unit of the National Association of Rocketry) as a resource for all club members new and old. If you are new to the hobby of model rocketry, this handbook will answer many of your questions about what model rocketry is, how to obtain and build model rockets and how to fly them using the club launch facilities. Old hands at model rocketry can use this handbook as a handy source of club information, including contact information, launch procedures, engine certifications and high-power launch procedures.

The contents of the LUNAR Handbook is subject to change as new sections are added and old sections are revised. If you have the urge to write a section for this handbook, please let us know (see authors) and we will get it included.

Welcome to LUNAR

LUNAR is Section #534 of the Livermore Unit of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). Lunar is located in Livermore, California, about fifty miles southeast of San Francisco. Lunar is a nonprofit club organized for the purposes of youth education and community involvement, though it is much more than a youth group. Membership in LUNAR is open to rocketry hobbyists of all ages to further the sport and science of hobby rocketry within the NAR and Tripoli Safety Codes. These codes have allowed hundreds of millions of model rocket launches by hobbyists since the late 1950's without any serious injuries.

LUNAR Contacts

The most current list of LUNAR's officers is maintained on the LUNAR website at:

http://www.lunar.org/contacts.shtml

If you have questions about model rockets or the LUNAR model rocket club, these are the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the people you should contact. Another good source of information is the LUNAR'clips journal and the LUNAR mailing lists.

The LUNAR'clips journal is issued approximately 6 times a year in paper and electronic copy. All back issues of the 'clips are available on the LUNAR website at:

http://www.lunar.org/docs/LUNARclips/LUNARclips.shtml

The lunar mailing lists are available to get club information over the Internet and to engage in rocketry discussions. Signing up for the mailing lists is described on the LUNAR website at:

http://www.lunar.org/docs/lists/lists.shtml

While e-mail is the best way to correspond with the club members and officers, you can also leave a message on the answering machine at the LUNAR hotline.

You should call the LUNAR Hotline to verify the date of the next meeting or launch, especially if you will be driving a long distance. We try to stick to the published calendar, but other events at the launch site occasionally force us to reschedule. On launch days, the Hotline recording is always updated at 7:00 am to reflect the Go/No-go status of the launch. On days with questionable weather, it is especially important to call the Hotline to get the latest information.

LUNAR Membership

We try to keep membership affordable to encourage participation, especially by families and kids. Despite the high value of the club's equipment and the expense of the NAR insurance coverage, the minimum adult dues are only $15/year.

The basic annual dues are:

Nonmember family walk on fee	$10.00
Family dues (Annual)	$25.00

A special category of "Contributing Member" has been created to provide an incentive for enhanced financial support by those who can afford it.

Because applying for membership involves sending in dues (and in the case of junior/senior members, parental signature on the permission slip), the membership application is designed to be sent by regular mail.

Copies of the membership application are available from the Registration Manager at any LUNAR launch. In fact, you can fill it out and turn it in there, saving yourself a stamp. Electronic copies of the membership form are available in PDF format at the LUNAR web site.

http://www.lunar.org/membership.shtml

Membership cards are usually available at the subsequent launch following receipt of the application.

LUNAR Meetings

The meetings are held at the LARPD Rec Center at 4266 Eighth St. near the center of Livermore. Consult the meeting directions to see how to get there.

Currently, LUNAR club meetings are held every other month on the Wednesday before the scheduled monthly launch. The meeting schedule is on the LUNAR website.

http://www.lunar.org/calendar.shtml#meetings

Most meetings consist of a brief business meeting followed by a presentation from a featured speaker or discussions of rocketry topics. The presentation is often given by club members and/or aerospace experts on some aspect of rocketry, ranging from simple building tips to advanced science and engineering principles.

Over the next year, we plan to hold a series of "Contest Build" meetings. At that meeting, building the type of rocket appropriate for the next month's contest will be demonstrated and flown at the weekend launch. This should give people interested in participating in the upcoming contest a month to build their rocket.

If you have a good idea or contact for a presentation, contact the club president or any of the other club officers to get it scheduled.

Election of club officers is performed at the first meeting of the calendar year (often in January or February).

LUNAR Launches

LUNAR launches are held on the LARPD practice soccer field closest to the Livermore Rodeo grounds in Robertson Park (N 37° 40.10´, W 121° 45.36´). Directions to the launches are on the LUNAR website.

http://www.lunar.org/events.shtml#launch-directions

Our monthly launches are generally held on the third Saturday of the month, unless preempted by other civic events. Day launches are generally held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Night launches are from 4:00-10:00 p.m. Competition launches often result in expanded hours of operation. Also, occasional special launches are scheduled.

In the winter, we fly at Snow Ranch, 30 miles east of Stockton on highway 4. There we have a level 2 field with a 15,000 foot ceiling. We currently allow up to L motors on that field.

The schedule of launches is on the LUNAR Website.

http://www.lunar.org/calendar.shtml#launches