Introduction to the International Rocket Week/Weekend
Travel Details to the IRW
Accomodation at the IRW
Food and Meals at the IRW
Weather at the IRW
Participation in the IRW
High Power Rocketry at the IRW
Flight Programme
Competitions at the IRW
Flight Rules at the IRW
Rocket Glider and Rocket Boost Glider Competitions at the IRW
Lander Competitions at the IRW
Rocket Boosted Helicopter Recovery Competitions at the IRW
Rocket Payload Competitions at the IRW
Aquajet Competitions at the IRW
1996 International/Scottish Rocket Weekend Report
1997 International/Scottish Rocket Weekend Report
Safety at the IRW
Entry, Participation and Accomodation Costs for the IRW
Insurance at the IRW
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International Rocket Week (IRW)
incorporating the International Rocket Weekend
Organised by: STAAR Research
ScotRoc
UKRA
Lander Competition

This event was pioneered during the 1997 IRW, and at the 1998 IRW was successfully flown to a more developed set of rules, with a good field of ingenious and high quality entries.

1) The idea is to design and build a vehicle or payload carrier to be launched by rocket and then land in a particular orientation - eg. upright or on its side - and remain in that orientation after landing.

2) The landing orientation must be specified before launch.

3) It is permissable for the Lander to move and/or change its orientation on or after first contact with the ground, so long as such movement is designed to deliver the Lander into its specified final orientation.

4) The Lander may have fixed or deployable landing legs or other touchdown devices, such as large panels which flick out on landing. Other systems or devices are possible - apply your imagination and ingenuity!. Study all the different methods which Lunar, Mars and Venus probe landers have employed, or are planned for future missions. The only method not allowed in this Contest is the Lawn Dart/Penetrator technique!

5) It is permissable to use parachutes and/or streamers as part of the descent system.

6) The Lander can be designed to separate from the launching/carrier rocket (which should have its own recovery system), or simply be launched on its own power as a self contained unit. A to G Class motors can be used in the Launch Vehicle for Separable Landers (which may also have their own on-board propulsion) or in Single Stage Self Propelled Landers.

7) Points will be awarded on the basis of:-
A. Ingenuity of design and construction.
B. Interest level generated by the flight, its descent and landing.
C. Degree of success in attaining the specified orientation.
D. Extra points will be awarded if a delicate payload is carried and recovered intact, eg. an unboiled hens egg.

Note: Haggis, a popular "biological" payload in Scotland, will not qualify in this regard; even an uncooked Haggis will withstand almost any impact! (as once famously demonstrated in a rocket flight by Rick Newlands of AspireSpace - ask him about this at the 1999 IRW, it's a story he loves to tell!).