After the passing of Dr. Alan Whitmore, the TMT program needed time and careful attention to reestablish its footing. Art Hoag stepped forward to take on the responsibility, and he has put in a tremendous amount of work over the past months to bring the program fully back online. From organizing and transferring historical records, to rebuilding the testing environment, to evaluating what TMT needs in order to serve the rocketry community for years to come, Art has carried a heavy load and kept the program moving forward.
With that effort, and with the technical expertise and support of Bdale Garbee at Altus Metrum, TMT is once again equipped to perform in-house motor testing using a modernized, capable, and thoroughly updated system. This marks a significant step forward for Tripoli and for the manufacturers who rely on TMT’s independent testing.
Why this matters:
- The Tripoli Motor Testing Committee is responsible for testing and certifying both model rocket and high-power rocket motors.
- TMT ensures that motors comply with NFPA 1125 safety standards, which govern the fire-safety and performance requirements for commercial rocket motors.
- The committee conducts controlled performance testing, measuring thrust, burn time, and other critical parameters.
- It documents and tracks motor performance data and issues compliance notices to manufacturers whose motors meet the standards.
TMT publishes its results for the entire community to use, including performance data that feeds resources like thrustcurve.org.
With the program restored and the new system in place, the important news is simple: TMT is open for business. Manufacturers may resume submitting motors for testing immediately.
There is more to come. We’ll be sharing details soon about the new testing system, new capabilities, and what this next chapter of TMT will bring to the community.
For submissions or questions, contact the Tripoli Motor Testing Committee at tmt@tripoli.org.