Easy Air Rocket Launcher STEM Challenge

Rockets are a great STEM challenge in any form, as the end result is usually impressive, and success is easy to measure. This simple air rocket launcher is inexpensive and very easy to create. It’s a great STEM challenge or science activity for home or school.

Once you’ve made an air rocket launcher, take a look at my other rocket ideas for kids.

Easy air rocket launcher

You’ll need

One empty two little plastic bottle

About 15 cm of PVC pipe – this needs to be about the same width as the opening of the bottle.

Strong tape

Sellotape

Paper

Instructions

Use strong tape to attach the PVC pipe to the top of the plastic bottle. Make sure air can only escape out of the top of the pipe.

Make a paper rocket by rolling the paper around the pipe and sealing one end with tape.

To launch the rocket, place it on top of the pipe and squeeze the bottle hard. The rocket should fly up into the air.

Air Rocket Launcher Instructions

Rocket launcher investigation ideas

Set up an investigation using a plain rocket and a decorated rocket that is heavier. Find out which flies the highest.

Use thicker, heavier paper to make a rocket.

Try a smaller or bigger bottle as the launcher.

Things to think about

Only one variable should change to make an investigation a fair test. If you change the type of rocket used, the amount of force used to launch it should stay the same. This is very tricky with a basic launcher, but one way to minimize the difference is to ensure the bottle is fully inflated before launching and use the same person to squeeze the bottle each time.

air rocket launcher on the floor made from a 2 litre plastic bottle and a small segment of PVC pipe

Air Rocket Launcher made with Pipes

A slightly more robust rocket launcher can be made like the one below. We used PVC pipes for the construction with a foot pump on the end. The key is to make sure no air can escape from the sides.

outdoor rocket launcher made from PVC pipes

Rockets fly best when as little air as possible escapes from the sides. To get a snug fit, I wrapped paper around the launch pipe and taped the top and sides. We added a few small decorations but kept it as light as possible.