Sorry for the long post. Let me know what you guys think and if this is better than my other blog site.

6/9/2019

Over the past week I have made some progress. I am more or less at the end of Calc 2. There are a handful of topics that are going beyond simply Calc 2 like multivariable calculus/ linear algebra and differential equations. Alongside these advancements I have started taking the calculus based physics course from Rice University. As of now I have covered 1D and 2D Kinematics, along with trajectory. After going over trajectory I recognized that one of the formulas that I came up or rather predicted in the last couple weeks to be the one used for trajectory. The fact that I predicted this from a couple of Calculus problems seemed to be a good step forward, at least in understanding helping predict where the rocket will land distance wise. I am aware that wind would possibly take the rocket as it comes back to the ground. I had a slight mental set back in that I had difficulty with the 1D kinematics homework.

I have come to the understanding that this whole process is broken down into three sections. I may have already mentioned this, regardless allow me to recap. The first section is the courses learning the theories behind what will go into the rockets. Then the second section would be the labs and more hands on engineering work. This would be the stuff like electrical learning kits and the first couple rocket launches. The third section will be the final designing and building to get to the Karman line.

I have come to the conclusion that the courses that I will be taking I might be finishing quicker than the given timeframe on edx. Not to say that the class process would be a longer process. Just that the class process will be long. I will need to select which course might be needed. This will bring up the point that each of the three sections, or at least the first two will blend together.

6/16/19

New week new entry. This week I took a slight field trip to an amateur rocket launch that was held by the local chapter of the Nation Association of Rocketry. Although I did not launch anything, however it was fun to watch. There were a handful of High Powered launches while I was there. The trip also showed, roughly the visual power out putts. What I mean is the difference in power between the different size solid engines, from the low climbing A-class to the high climbing high power classes. There was another noticeable difference in each launch, the weight of each vessel clearly had relationship to the flight’s height. I have a feeling I will be able to understand the reasoning behind this as time goes on.

In terms of classes I’m making progress with the Edx Physics course. While I am understanding the concepts, I feel less confident with the homework. I understand the concepts that go into the problem’s solution. However, when I am working out the problems I get confused and choose the wrong set up. Once I realize my mistakes I am able to go back and make the corrections. This is true for most of the problems, sadly I have difficulty with going from acceleration to velocity without time. One I am able to get this part down things clear up. This is coming from difficulty with kinematics. This was a point of problem when I took physics back in high school. After a while I got used to the different set ups. I am hoping this will happen again this time around.

Looking forward I am noticing three things over this past week. First, my “coursework” will become more and more fun after I move out of the entry level course, math and physics. I admit this would have been true if I had gone through a college program. Second, as I go through the entry level course I will come across the basic concepts of concepts that will be discussed as I move on. In my Calculus and Physics work I have already learned the basics of trajectory, thrust, air resistance, and drag. This brings back to the notion that I am wanting to learn the background. I am not just going to throw a rocket into the air. If I am to reach the Karman line, I will need to know the science behind it all to make sure everything works. Lastly I am going to need to make my own rockets and not use kits.