Historically, the team has never been able to make our own motors, but that is a goal that we are working towards. 

 

When selecting commercial motors, we must take into account matters such as the size and weight of the rocket being launched, the goal of the launch, and what the weather conditions of the launch day might be.

 

For example, for High Power Rocketry (HPR) Certification rockets, which tend to be much smaller than competition rockets if built using kits, we are more likely to choose motors that produce less thrust to ensure they won't be ripped apart when launch. 

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But on the other hand, heavier competition rockets may not fly fast enough with low thrust motors to be stable when launched. 

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Another factor that must be considered is delay time, which is the period between when the motor stops producing thrust and when the ejection charges fire to deploy the parachutes. Each motor has its own unique optimal delay time depending on the rocket it is being used for. The norm is to select a delay time when the rocket is traveling at its slowest speed, which is also when the rocket is at its highest point in its flight—apogee. The delay is determined with the use of a computer simulation, which takes into account the motor specifications, the mass of the rocket, the drag it will produce, the angle at which it is launched, and its stability.