Meet 28-year-old ‘rocket inventor’
Sunday, 20 March 2011 00:00 Christiana T. Alabi, Kaduna

Two solid-fuelrockers launchedby ShehuBalami in Kaduna
Since year 2000 when he was still in secondary school, 28 year old Shehu Balami, a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna has been researching into rocketry trying to make rocket that will fly, although he initially made many smaller models that instead of flying, exploded due to very low power and lack of enough thrust to drive the rocket. He said that after making the smaller models that, he started making some horizontal tests produced enough power to drive the rocket and it was then he started to believe that he could actually make a rocket that can fly. “My family especially my mother encouraged me to continue even when the rockets were not flying,” he said.


“The first successful rocket I made that flew was to demonstrate before my work project was titled “Design and construction of an amateur solid propellant rocket” after producing it, it flew and that was how i eventually got it in 2008,” he stressed, adding that, the project was the best in his department in year 2008.

In February, 2011, the young-engineer apart from the rocket he produced as his project work, he invented and launched two solid-fuel rockets along the new Kaduna Millennium City road in Kaduna state.

Speaking at the site of the launching, Balami explained that he started working on the rockets since February, 2010, and had wanted to launch them in October, 2010 to celebrate Nigeria at 50 but could not because of financial constraints. He said that was the reason for designing the rockets in Nigeria national col-our: green white green.

He disclosed that he developed interest in rocketry since he was a child not only with the aim of building them but to enable him build space satellite for Nigeria in the future. “I have a special passion for anything that flies be it aeroplane or rocket and that was the reason why I started researching into rocketry, and in fact it informs the choice of my project topic in the university,” he stated.

The two rockets Balami launched flew impressively well into the space at normal speed but could not reach the calculated distance of 1.3 Km due he identified as scarcity of unadulterated materials in the local market.

“The rockets I launched did not reach the calculated height of 1.3km, it could be from the potassium nitrate which I suspected might have been adulterated because I did not change the mixture i used for the previous ones that flew well,” he added.

The rockets numbers are J03 and J04, explaining that the ‘J’ stands for his mother’s name Jummai because of her contributions and encouragement towards the realization of his dream and aspiration of inventing a rocket that could fly.

According to him the components of rocket include: fuel (potassium nitrate, sulphur, and carbon), mild steel for the casing, the fins were also made of mild steel while the nose was made of plaster of Paris (POP). The calculated speed of the rocket was 660km/h, takeoff weight – approximately 1kg, propelling weight for the first one was 344 grams while that of the second was 364 grams. The engine length according to him was 300mm while the outside diameter was 4.8cm.

On how he gets funding to produce the rockets, he said he has been getting support from his friends and family members. He said the first rocket he produced in 2008 that flew cost him about 10,000 naira only, but the two he launched in February, 2011 cost him approximately 30,000 naira each adding that he used hundred percent local contents.

He said he was able to invent the solid-fuel rocket with the support from his friends under the auspices of Movement for the Propagation of Science and Technology in Nigeria, a group which comprises friends with interest in science and technology.

“Our aim is to create awareness on the practical application of what is learnt in school for the development of the society. The group started from the university when, we delivered lectures to students on science and technology from jet and, rocket engines to electric circuit. The name of the group in school was Passion for the Application of Engineering and Technological research Information (PAETRI),” he explained.

He said their movement had written letters to the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) but is yet to get response.

He explained that, the rocket is a vehicle that uses engine proportionately so that it can to convey equipments and satellites to space and also assist the take-off of heavy aircraft. It has a military application and it can carry a war-head and in that case it is called a missile.

He lamented Nigeria’s reliance on advanced countries to send her satellite into the space due to lack of conducive atmosphere for indigenous talented inventors to strive in the country after 50 year of independence, noting that there is need for the federal government to recognize and provide conducive atmosphere for scientists and technologists if it wishes to attain the desired vision 20:2020.

“If government pays attention to local scientists and technologists and supports them financially, with this kind of invention I just launched, I believe strongly that one day we will be able to build our own satellite or the engine that will take the satellite to the space and save Nigeria a lot of money,” Balami stressed.

Engineer Balami said that he has also started researches in building of Remote Controlled Aircraft, which he intends to go into immediately after the launching of his rocket.

His friends Shittu Zumungai and Mohammed Abdulmalik Abdulrahaman in their separate remarks described Balami as an embodiment of talents and a gift to his generation, reiterating that he has to be properly utilized so that he can contribute his quota to the technological advancement of Nigeria.

http://sunday.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6313:meet-28-year-old-rocket-inventor&catid=57:cover&Itemid=126

too bad nigeria isnt goin to work on his idea,useless goverment, dats hw dey av let so many ideas go to waste

where are those guys that av showcased deir idea times without numba on NTA,we avnt heard anytin again,

guy,if u luv ur idea,go to a country where it would be appreciated,

dont get it re-inventing the wheel?? this is not an invention sir, not the way to develop technologically!! millions of hour-work have been invested into rocket science, there is no need to start it all over again, learn from wat has been done, criticise it, and build someting better based on that

i still dont get y we celebrate mediocrity in this country

ABEG NIGERIA SHOULD USE HIM BEFORE AL QAEDA GETS TO HIM FIRST,

I have just received word from MEND, this boy is highly sought after to supplement MEND's supply of Air-2-Ground Missiles

All these journalists and their misuse of English language. Do these guys know the meaning of the word "inventor"

PeeDaVinci:

dont get it re-inventing the wheel?? this is not an invention sir, not the way to develop technologically!! millions of hour-work have been invested into rocket science, there is no need to start it all over again, learn from wat has been done, criticise it, and build someting better based on that

i still dont get y we celebrate mediocrity in this country

Spot on! This technique is not less than a century old! Let him integrate a guidance system to it and start from there.

lagerwhenindoubt:

I have just received word from MEND, this boy is highly sought after to supplement MEND's supply of Air-2-Ground Missiles

Think you meant Ground-2-Air.

Its nice to hear this but the problem is that Government would never assist and this can not stand standard-wise internationally.

INVENTOR i dont fink so

i am proud of the inventor, as well as ma School - Federal University of Technology, Minna. thumbs up!!!

mithel:

too bad nigeria isnt goin to work on his idea,useless goverment, dats hw dey av let so many ideas go to waste

where are those guys that av showcased deir idea times without numba on NTA,we avnt heard anytin again,

guy,if u luv your idea,go to a country where it would be appreciated,  

Kudos should be given to him for a nice initiative but I'm afraid there's nothing else the govt can use this his work for. If Nigeria needs rocket technology, we

need scientist that can improve on what already exists globally and not the ones reproducing century old inventions.

I thought Rockets have been invented before now, .No?

Hmm. I guess we can also refer to him as the "Father of Rockets"  

copy n paste dude! . . . this is jus a snr high school project in developed countries!

misanho:

i am proud of the inventor, as well as ma School - Federal University of Technology, Minna. thumbs up!!!

Yes o my brother. FUT, no dey carry last with all the jacking. What debt are you? I, Mathematics/ Computer science, 500Level

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!! i smell danger.from the Hands of The North ( BOKO Haram) using some evil hands to revage Harvoc in Nigeria. Though, its an Improved individual Invention in Naija. E try!

Inventor, Re-inventor, Post-inventor . . . all na 'english'.

This guy ought to be in Russia for his Masters Degree.
He can then go wherever he and his works will be appreciated, simple.

He's gonna be a waste in Nigeria.

Shehu, Sannu d' aiki.

If u don't encourage him, others will!

How did this technology get into the hands of these anarchists up North . First it was Iran fiddling with nuclear technology, Secondly the Palestinians and their Katyusha rockets, Now its the Boko Haram people toying with the same old rockets again. GEJ its time to act.

wherez Jack Bauer

Kudos to the young man. We need more minds like this in Nigeria.

For detractors on this thread, agreed, the use of the word inventor may have been superfluous but inventions are not always brand new concepts. This is why we speak of re-inventing the wheel. Meanwhile there is nothing wrong with re-inventing the wheel. Technological breakthroughs have occurred while a stubborn person was reinventing the wheel.

Wikipedia defines invention:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention

An invention is a new composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived in which case it may be a radical breakthrough.

Not all inventions are independently conceived and some are derived from pre-existing models or ideas. Not all are radical breakthroughs. They are inventions all the same.

In this case, Shehu Balami used only locally available material to build his rockets from scratch. He did not invent the process, and he didn't invent the model, but surely that is an invention of sorts - considering the material he used.

To avoid ambiguity maybe the more accurate word would have been innovation.

the fact about pple is that alot of them can critize but very few can make contribution for the advancement of humanity,make ur own contribution let see what u ve got, well done bro,

Inventor? Really?

Where are the whole defense companies that launch unmanned rockets to space?

I guess Boeing, Lockheed, EADS, et al needs to hear this, Perhaps they need to hire him quick.

I won't criticize his efforts and initiative he put through to get this done, but this is no invention, what he absolutely needs to do is advance this technology for instance I'm no engineering student but let him think of how he guide his rocket using some kind of fly-by-wire system.

its an easy diy project meant for enthusiast and fora curiuos minded person

Guys, how far is Nigeria on rocket technology?  

PeeDaVinci:

dont get it re-inventing the wheel?? this is not an invention sir, not the way to develop technologically!! millions of hour-work have been invested into rocket science, there is no need to start it all over again, learn from wat has been done, criticise it, and build someting better based on that

i still dont get y we celebrate mediocrity in this country

What you fail to understand is that yes he didn't invent the rocket tech but it's not like he has had all the oppurtunity to learn what the rest of the world knows. Even the person who so called invented the wheel probably saw a natural stone which was cut round and it looked like that would roll better. When are nigerians going to start being proud of accomplishments even if it not up to the standards of the western world.

Good job to this guy i pray he continues to work hard and improve his trade.

cant see anythg spectacular in this. why dont we all google 'how to make a 'homemade rocket'? am sure the results will make us all inventors.
but its not a bad start shaa for the guy. make hin put hin shoulders down and aim higher

Let's stop celebrating mediocrity peeps, The first iron cased metal cylinder rocket  was made in the 1780s, when technology was crude and the knowledge of physics was limited, the fact that someone repeated such a technology in Nigeria 3 millenniums later, calls for tears not applause!

The dude is impressive no doubts, the disturbing part of the bigger picture however is the fact that we believe he's impressive

Kudos!!!!
omo well done.
I hope de government ppl are paying attention

How did this technology get into the hands of these anarchists up North . First it was Iran fiddling with nuclear technology, Secondly the Palestinians and their Katyusha rockets, Now its the Boko Haram people toying with the same old rockets again. GEJ its time to act.

wherez Jack Bauer

stupido are u missing some nerve in ur coordinating tissue? or u didn't know tech advance from arabian peninsula, whatz ur problem saying how did technology get into hands of this fella.

violent:

I thought Rockets have been invented before now, .No?

. . . yes. By the Chinese, around 2000 years ago. Sheeit, even the fireworks we play with every Xmas period are basically rockets.