(This story is a sidebar to James Dietter’s feature about local model rocket enthusiasts, Newtown Residents Find Their Hobby Is More Than Rocket Science — It’s A Blast!)

Like any specialized discipline, model rocketry has developed its own lexicon. Some words are scientific, others are more creative.

The following are some of the most common words used by those in the rocketry know.

Apogee: Highest point in a rocket’s trajectory.

BAR: Born Again Rocketeer.

Barbecue Pit: When a rocket catches fire on the launch pad.

Barometric Telemeters: Records flight data that can be downloaded and analyzed.

Flux Capacitor: Senses changes in the earth’s electromagnetic field to deploy parachutes at ideal elevation.

LDRS: Large Dangerous Rocket Ship.

Land Shark: A rocket that bounces off the ground shortly after launch.

No Joy: Failure to ignite engine.

Search and Destroy: A rocket that flies horizontally instead of vertically.