I have been actively involved in rocketry since the end of the 1970's. I blame my parents for giving me a chemistry set at too early an age ! As with many amateur rocketeers, I spent the 1980's building rocket propulsion systems and rockets in isolation, and then helped found AspireSpace in 1993, after ASPIRE I had been built in 1991 and flown in 1992. At a similar time, I also started getting involved in UK-SEDS, later ending up on the UK-SEDS committee. I then moved on from AspireSpace after it became more meetings focussed than practically focussed, and joined UK amateur rocketry group, MARS, a few years ago. I've also more recently got a bit more involved in the United Kingdom Rocketry Association (UKRA). I attended their formation meeting a few years ago, but did not really get involved until 1999. I am also heavily involved with the FARISpace Project - a project by fellow MARS Flight Crew member Richard Brown to put a 2-stage hybrid rocket into space. It has largely taken up my spare time for a long while now, but will see a rocket with a substantial MARS involvement, by someone in MARS, make a go at a space shot. Very exciting stuff. From time to time, my rocketry related activities have also led the media to contact me, for TV and radio appearances as well as newspaper articles, and for comments on potential stories or for technical advice. As an evangelist for the cause of rocketry and space, I am more than happy to be involved in such ventures. As can be seen from the scanned article to the left, it is possible to go from small rockets to large near-space and space capable rockets. It just takes time - in fact, about 17 years separates the two photos ! The two rockets in the scanned image are a single stage rocket, and a 2-stage rocket. Both of which flew in the early 1980's - badly ! (something to do with the fins not being on straight, and the second stage not being on straight). As if my interest in the large, experimental MARS rockets wasn't enough, I build my own avionics systems, hybrid motors as well as rocket powered waveriders, and have a number of small model rockets and high power model rockets. From an amateur rocketry and high power rocketry perspective, I am primarily interested in hybrid motors and avionics, and to this end, have been working on my own flight computer, and a small hybrid propulsion system for use in rockets, rocketplanes and various other forms of transport.