3d8d13581898e639443-47ab 20230906023140251 hyperscienceij@gmail.com:rcrl hyperscienceij@gmail.com WEB-FORM Hyperscience International Journals HIJ 28213300 09 2023 3 3 Tesla STEM High School, 4201 228th Ave NE, Redmond, Washington, 98053, United States Johan Karukayil https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2658-2998 Henry Love https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1433-2652 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States Over the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in rocket launches. 2022 was a record-breaking year for the ‎aerospace ‎industry, with 180 successful rocket launches into orbit, 44 more than the previous year. Reducing as ‎many risks as possible is ‎essential as interplanetary rocket launches and reusable booster landings become more ‎frequent. One such risk occurs when a ‎rocket/booster lands. During the landing process, the retrorockets spray debris ‎from the loose ground, which may damage the ‎rocket/landing module. Retrorockets are rocket engines that provide ‎a thrust opposing the spacecraft’s motion, causing it to ‎decelerate. This paper studies the effect of landing leg height ‎on ejecta velocity, the volume of debris ejected, and ground ‎surface temperature change. Four landing leg heights ‎were tested with an Estes® E-16 consumer model rocket motor: 0 mm, ‎‎50 mm, 75 mm, and 100 mm. The ‎experiment suggests that the optimal height above the ground’s surface for a simulated ‎landing module based on ‎the volume and velocity of the ejecta is 50 mm. Landing legs that elevate a model rocket this height ‎create an ‎average crater volume of 610.5 mL and a max crater diameter of 10.34 cm. After determining the optimal height, a ‎‎landing leg system was developed. This system was attached to an Aerodactyl TS® model rocket and utilized ‎landing legs that ‎elevated the rocket to a height of 50 mm above the ground at landing.‎‎ 09 2023 17 23 10.55672/hij2023pp17-23 https://hscience.org/index.php/hij/article/view/104