Hey there! My name is Hunter, and I am a freshman Mechanical Engineer at The University of Alabama. This summer, I want to build an official Half Cat Rocketry Mojave Sphinx liquid rocket.

Just recently, amateur rocket builders such as myself have been given the green light to launch liquid rockets at Tripoli Rocketry Association sanctioned events. This has never been allowed until now.

My goals surrounding this rocket can be broken into two milestones:

1. Build the Mojave Sphinx design based on Half Cat Rocketry’s guidebook and have it become certified before August 15th, 2026.

2. Complete testing of the rocket and achieve a successful flight before the end of 2026.

Now that liquid rockets are permitted within the realm of amateur rocketry, I expect more and more people to pursue building and launching liquid rockets at local events. I believe the impact of this will be a greater interest in the design and construction of rockets across college campuses and our communities. My goal with this project is to learn more about what it take to build and launch liquid rockets, and also to document the process in a way that helps others have an easier time after me.

Thank you for your support in this endeavor, and ad astra per aspera!