40 FALL 2019 • POPSCI.COM byClaire Maldarelli / photograph by Brian Klutch
CLOSER LOOK SPUTNIK 1’S 9 8 -MINUTE JAUNT AROUND THE PLANET IN 1957
ignited a passion for space among amateur rocketeers that endures today.
Models slake our thirst for thrust without billion-dollar budgets. But while their
small combustible motors offer plenty of lift, they typically sacrifice either
altitude or acceleration. The Apogee Aspire can deliver both for around $60.UP, UP, AND
FAR AWAY
Weight: 1 ounce
A cardboard fuselage and
hollow nose cone minimize the
29-inch missile’s weight to maxi-
mize effi ciency. Sanding down
the laser-cut balsa fi ns creates
smooth edges that reduce drag.Max height: 1 mile+
Choose a slow-burning motor
to push the Apogee more than a
mile high. A metallic ribbon at-
tached with a Kevlar cord (which
also secures the nose cone)
makes it easy to track across the
sky and recover aft er landing.Speed: Mach 1+
With a hotter, faster-burning
fuel source, the Aspire easily ex-
ceeds the speed of sound. It hits
Mach 1 as it passes 200 feet,
creating a sonic boom on its way
toward the heavens.GOODS