BALLS is widely recognized as the premier Experimental Rocket Launch in the continental United States, with a history spanning more than 36 years. Held each year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert north of Reno near Gerlach, the event brings together rocketry enthusiasts from around the world who are pushing the limits of non-professional rocketry through experimentation, innovation, and technical excellence.
Hosted by the Tripoli Gerlach Prefecture, BALLS serves as the proving ground for ambitious projects that would not normally be flown at traditional launches. The event regularly features large and high-performance rockets, complex staging and clustering, metal airframes, self-designed motors, and new technologies under development, all taking advantage of the vast open recovery areas of the Black Rock Dry Lake.
BALLS 34 will take place September 25, 26, and 27, 2026. Registration is available through the Tripoli Gerlach website at www.tripoligerlach.com, and everyone is strongly encouraged to register online in advance, as on-site registration will be significantly more expensive.