About Us
The Liquid Propulsion Symposium
Organized entirely by volunteers and operated as a non-profit collaboration between Friends of Amateur Rocketry and Flabob Airport’s SARTEC Rocket Lab, this unique event exists to support and advance the liquid rocketry community—and to inspire more universities to push the boundaries of liquid rocket development. It is 100% self-funded through private donations and ticket proceeds and does not accept outside sponsorship. Friends of Amateur Rocketry and SARTEC, under Flabob’s Tom Wathen Center, are both 501c non-profit organizations supporting the rocketry community for over 20 years. Additional content, coordination, and facilities support comes from EAA Chapter One, Honkawa Rocketry, and Ventura Energy Systems.
Our Partner organizations
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SARTEC – Student Advanced Rocketry Testing & Evaluation Center
SARTEC (Student Advanced Rocketry Testing And Evaluation Center) is a nonprofit organization chartered to support student rocketry research. We help numerous student rocketry groups in high schools, colleges, and universities by providing materials, mentoring, and facilities for testing advanced solid and liquid fuel rockets. We maintain a close working relationship with the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) and the Reaction Research Society (RRS) launch sites at the Koehn Dry Lake in the Mojave Desert.
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Flabob Airport and the Tom Wathen Center
Flabob is the fifth oldest airport in California. Founded in 1925 as Riverside’s first civil airport, Flabob is a paradise for homebuilders, antiquers, and everyone devoted to sport and family aviation. It is home to EAA Chapter #1
The Tom Wathen Center uses the fascination of flight to inspire learning and foster successful careers and fulfilling lives. We are dedicated to including all people—especially youth, veterans, and the disadvantaged. At our historic Flabob Airport, we preserve aviation history and nurture the innovators of tomorrow.
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Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR)
FAR is a non-profit volunteer organization and facility (FAR Site) for experimenters who want to test and fly rockets of their own design.
FAR serves individuals and teams who seek a place to develop and test engines, test fly rockets, test and fly avionic systems, or most anything related to rocketry. Our facility in the Mojave Desert has launchers for everything from hobby store model rockets all the way to rockets weighing more than 1,000 pounds. Our static test stands allow you to mount an engine, or an entire rocket, and fire the motor before attempting a flight. Whether it's a rocket powered by a commercially manufactured solid propellant motor, an experimental propellant you made, or a complex liquid propellant rocket, all are welcome! If you want a place to do tests legally and safely, or just fly some rockets for fun, we are here to help!