Joe Barnard
Joe Barnard | |
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| Born | Joe Barnard |
| Education | Berklee College of Music (B.A.) |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| YouTube information | |
| Channels | |
| Genre | Engineering |
| Subscribers |
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| Views |
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| Last updated: January 9, 2026 | |
| Website | bps |
Joe Barnard is an American entrepreneur, amateur rocketry developer, and founder of Barnard Propulsion Systems (or BPS),[1] best known for his YouTube channels BPS.space, BPS.shorts, and Joe Barnard.
BPS.space
Barnard created the BPS.space project in 2015 to build model rockets after viewing a SpaceX online broadcast.[1]
Vertical takeoff and landing
Over seven years, he iteratively developed his Scout rocket design and ultimately built a model rocket capable of vertical takeoff and landing.[2][3] This required developing thrust vector control, throttle control of the solid rocket motor, and a flight control computer and software.[4]
Other rocketry projects
Barnard has pursued several other rocketry-related projects, including building multistage rockets,[5] flight control computers, rocket motors,[6] and image stabilization hardware.[7]
BPS.space has also served as a business venture for Barnard, where he sells Arduino-based flight control computers for model rockets.[8]
Personal life
Barnard completed is undergraduate degree in Audio Engineering from Berklee College of Music in 2014,[9] and worked as a wedding photographer before working full time at BPS.space.[8] BPS.space became Barnard's full-time job, funded through a combination of merchandse and control board sales, Patreon sponsorship, and YouTube advertising and ad revenue.[10]
He previously lived in Nashville, Tennessee[11][12] before moving to the Los Angeles area of California in 2021.[13][14]
Barnard had no background in rocketry before starting, and is entirely self-taught;[9] though his father worked on missile guidance, navigation, and control systems.[15]
In 2021 and 2022, Barnard, Xyla Foxlin, and others launched a rocket-powered Christmas tree at Friends of Amateur Rocketry.[16][17][18][19]
References
- ^ a b Oberhaus, Daniel (21 September 2018). "Meet the Amateur Rocketeer Building Self-Landing Replicas of SpaceX Rockets". Vice. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Conradie, Danie (5 August 2022). "BPS.Space Succesfully [sic] Lands A Model Rocket". Hackaday. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Liszewski, Andrew (11 July 2024). "Model rocket enthusiasts are learning how to do vertical landings". Verge. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "How To Build a Thrust Vectored Model Rocket - National Rocketry Conference 2020". YouTube. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Lewis, James. "Learning From a Rocket with the World's Smallest Flight Computer". Hackster. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Maloney, Dan (11 September 2024). "A Look Inside A DIY Rocket Motor". Hackaday. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Halfacree, Gareth. "Joe Barnard Sets a Camera Spinning to Capture Stable Footage From a Rapidly-Ascending Rocket". Hackster. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b Cassel, David (25 September 2022). "One Man's Dream to Build a Working SpaceX-Style Model Rocket". The New Stack. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b Barnard, Joe; Hammond, Keith (25 October 2019). "Build Your Own Thrust Vectored Rockets For Vertical Landings Like SpaceX". Make. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ Barnard, Joe. "BPS.space About". BPS.space. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Building a Supersonic Rocket Guidance System". YouTube. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Contributors" (PDF). Make. July 2019. p. 4. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "BPS.space In 2021". YouTube. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "BPS.space is Hiring!". YouTube. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ Allan, Alasdair. "What Is the Future of Model Rockets in the "New Space" Era?". Hackster. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Tangermann, Victor (20 December 2021). "Watch These Madmen Attach a Rocket Engine to a Christmas Tree and Launch It Like a Festive Missile". Futurism. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Our Christmas Rocket Didn't Work Great... Feat. Insta360 X3". YouTube. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Rocket Powered Christmas Tree". YouTube. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Malik, Tariq (25 December 2022). "Watch an epic Christmas tree launch for the holidays by DIY 'Rocket-tree' makers (videos)". Space.com. Retrieved 11 January 2026.