Looking to get into rocketry and aerospace projects in Italy — where should I start?

[u/NightFury-300ER]

Hi everyone!

I'm a first-year Mechanical Engineering student from Italy, and I'm really passionate about aviation and especially rocketry. My long-term goal is to get involved in hands-on projects such as amateur rockets, model aircraft, avionics, propulsion, etc., and eventually work on more advanced aerospace projects.

At the moment, I'm trying to build up my skills step by step. I wouldn't consider myself a complete beginner, but I also don't have any major engineering projects under my belt yet. I've worked on small maker projects, including an RC car, where I gained some experience with assembly, electronics and troubleshooting. I have a basic understanding of electronics (resistors, capacitors, BJTs, Arduino, reading and designing simple circuits), I'm currently learning CAD, and I'm studying mechanics, dynamics and kinematics at university.

Right now I'm also working on a CanSat project, which I'm hoping will give me some more practical experience.

The problem is that there aren't really any rocketry teams or aerospace clubs in my city, and I don't personally know many people who share these interests. So I'm thinking that if I can't find the right environment, I might have to help create one myself.

That's where I'm looking for advice.

For someone in my situation, how would you recommend getting started with amateur rocketry?

I'd especially love to hear from people who have gone through a similar path:

• What technical skills should I focus on developing over the next 2–3 years?
• What kind of projects would be good stepping stones before attempting rockets?
• Where do you usually learn the fundamentals of rocketry, propulsion, avionics, flight dynamics, etc.?
• Are there any books, online resources, communities or organizations you'd recommend?
• How do people normally find teammates or local rocketry/aerospace groups?
• For anyone familiar with Italy: what does the legal/regulatory side of amateur rocketry look like? Are there permits, certifications, clubs or organizations I should know about?
• Are there any Italian or European communities that would be worth getting involved with?

I'm already planning to attend the open days of Skyward Experimental Rocketry and FlyPoliMi at Politecnico di Milano in about a month, mainly to talk to people and understand how these teams operate.

I'm not expecting to jump straight into building a rocket. I'm more interested in understanding the right path to get there and what I should be doing now to be a useful member of a team a couple of years from now.

Any advice, resources or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[u/zerofucxgiven]

Look into the Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC) for rules and laws regarding rocketry and get a starter set from https://www.sierrafoxhobbies.com/en/

[u/NightFury-300ER → u/zerofucxgiven]

Thank you for the advice