2026 8× Orbital Transport Upscale Glider 

Project Wrap Up

All the dreams and ideas, then the planning and hard work of our team came together in one spectacular flight at Sod Blaster VIII! This rocket is such a unique creation, so unlike the symmetrical rockets we usually fly.  A beautiful rocket and a beautiful flight.  With only minor damage to the airframes, we have the option to repair the rocket and fly it again.

The Estes Orbital Transport was introduced in 1969 as a futuristic vision of what a reusable space shuttle might look like.  Powered by 18mm B and C engines, the orbiter could achieve flight times of around one minute and reach altitudes nearing 500 feet.  More recently, Estes produced the Super Orbital Transport kit, a 50% larger version of the original that flies on 24mm C and D motors.  Our version was a "little" (aka 8 times) bigger.

It challenged the team in many ways, from balancing off center mass and off-center aerodynamic drag, to controlling multiple operations during the flight.