I haven’t mentioned this previously, but I should have. The “Safe Explosives Act” part of the Homeland Security Act, will essentially ban model rockets, or make it so difficult to get and use the engines, because it will require getting an ATF permit, that it might as well.

In addition to being fun and educational, model rocketry is one of the paths that many took to becoming aerospace engineers. There’s a movement afoot to get an exemption for model rocketry from the bill. The details can be found here. Write, fax or phone your Senators.

[Update at 2:10 PM PST]

There’s an article in today’s Washington Times about it.

Model-rocket hobbyists are lobbying Capitol Hill lawmakers for the exemption through faxes, e-mail messages and phone calls. They include Jay Apt, who has flown four space shuttle missions.

“It makes no more sense to restrict aerospace modeling than it would have to ban rental trucks after they were misused in Oklahoma and New York,” Mr. Apt told Space.com.

Actually, it makes a lot less sense. At least the rental truck was actually used for a terrorist act. No one has ever committed terrorism with a model rocket engine.