University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Illinois Space Society Student Launch Proposal September 30, 2016

Transcription

1 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Illinois Space Society Student Launch Proposal September 30, 2016 Illinois Space Society 104 S. Wright Street Room 18C Urbana, Illinois 61801

2 Table of Contents 1. GENERAL INFORMATION Team Management Management Roles Defined Subteams Structures and Recovery Subteam Payload Subteam Minor Subteams NAR Section FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT Overview Team and Subteam Design Meeting Workspaces Build Session Workspaces Talbot Undergraduate Labs Other Manufacturing Facilities Accessibility Facility Safety Features Launch Sites SAFETY Safety Overview Safety Plan Risk Assessment Safety Briefings Member Requirements NAR Mentor Energetics Handling Motor Purchase and Storage Compliance NAR High Power Safety Code Federal Aviation Requirements Range Safety Officer Authority TECHNICAL DESIGN Project Overview Structures and Recovery System Overview Material Selection Construction Methods... 25

3 4.2.4 Motor Selection and Justification Recovery Simulation Methods System Performance Risk Analysis Payload System Overview Mechanical Landing Subsystem Image Processing Subsystem Risk Analysis EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT Educational Engagement Plan Feedback Illinois Space Day Small Local Events Engineering Open House PROJECT PLAN Development Timeline Budget Funding Plan Project Sustainability Recruitment and Member Retention Industry and Community Partners Funding Sustainability Educational Outreach APPENDIX A: Definitions APPENDIX B: Acronyms APPENDIX C: ISS Tech Team Safety Policy APPENDIX D: Education Feedback Form APPENDIX E: NAR High Power Rocket Safety Code APPENDIX F: Federal Aviation Regulations 14 CFR, Subchapter F, Part 101, Subpart C Amateur Rockets... 80

4 List of Figures Figure 1: Payload subteam design meeting in a typical classroom environment Figure 2: Talbot Lab Room 18A houses 3D printers, a laser cutter, and work benches Figure 3: Talbot Lab Room 18B houses work benches, a disk sander, and a table saw Figure 4: The Illinois Space Society's storage space in Room 18C Figure 5: Overview of major flight events Figure 6: Full rocket color-coded by section Figure 7: Dimensioned drawing of design Figure 8: Dimensioned drawing of fin Figure 9: Aerotech L1170FJ-P thrust curve Figure 10: RMS 75/5120 dimensioned schematic Figure 11: Motor mount tube Figure 12: Aeropack 75mm flanged motor retainer Figure 13: Lower section after separation at apogee Figure 14: Upper section of the rocket which separates at apogee Figure 15: Booster section, which is tethered to avionics bay, following drogue deployment Figure 16: Avionics bay and main parachute bay following drogue deployment Figure 17: A Jolly Logic Chute Release Figure 18: Electrical schematics for the booster section Figure 19: Electrical schematic for the payload section Figure 20: Both sides of the lower avionics sled Figure 21: Payload electronics sleds Figure 22: Current design modeled in OpenRocket Figure 23: Sample rocket modeled in RockSim V Figure 24: Simulated flight profile, velocity, and acceleration from OpenRocket Figure 25: Stability of vehicle as it sits on launch pad as calculated by OpenRocket Figure 26: Stability as a function of time since motor ignition Figure 27: Rendering of the full payload system in its launch configuration Figure 28: The landing system in its fully deployed configuration Figure 29: Exploded view of the landing leg connection mechanism Figure 30: Landing leg deployment sequence Figure 31: Block diagram of the fully redundant image processing subsystem Figure 32: Diagram of the payload cameras, showing the estimated available line of sight of the cameras in blue Figure 33: Image processing software overview Figure 34: Orbital simulator demo run by student launch team

5 List of Tables Table 1: Material Hazard Analysis... 9 Table 2: Facility Hazard Analysis Table 3: Machinery Hazard Analysis Table 4: Vehicle and Recovery Requirements Table 5: Projected Mass Statement Table 6: Airframe Material Trade Study Table 7: Fin Material Trade Study Table 8: Tentative Building Schedule Table 9: Performance Characteristics of Chosen Parachutes Table 10: Mass under Each Parachute Broken Down by Section Table 11: Terminal Velocity of Each Section of the Vehicle Table 12: Kinetic Energy of Each Section of the Vehicle at Impact Table 13: Structures and Recovery Risk Analysis Table 14: Payload Requirements Table 15: Landing Legs Subsystem Testing Table 16: Image Processing Camera Trade Study Table 17: Ground Imaging Subsystem Tests Table 18: Payload Risk Analysis Table 19: Project Milestones and Their Expected Completion Dates Table 20: Project Expenses Table 21: Funding Sources... 69

6 1. GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Team Management Team Leader Stephen Vrkljan, Project Manager Phone: (630) Safety Officer Nicholas Martin Management Stephen Vrkljan Project Manager Nicholas Martin Safety Officer Chris Payload Manager Andrew Structures and Recovery Manager Basilios Administrative Assistant Lui Educational Outreach Manager Management Roles Defined The management team for the ISS Student Launch team is responsible for facilitating and directing the productivity of all team members. The project manager serves as the team s liaison to NASA officials, leads the team s writing efforts, and ensures integration of work done by the subteams into the overall system. The safety officer performs hazards analysis, creates and enforces a safety plan, and defines safe building and launch procedures. The payload manager directs the efforts of the payload subteam. The structures and recovery manager directs the efforts of the structures and recovery subteam. The administrative assistant manages the team website, which will serve as a portal for news, member information, and design documents. 1.2 Subteams In order to efficiently distribute work, the team is composed of two major subteams: Payload and Structures and Recovery (S&R). The role and responsibilities for each team are defined in the following subsections. In addition to the main subteams, which have dedicated meeting times each week, several minor subteams work on aspects outside of the technical design of the project, and their function will also be described below. Combined team meetings will also be used as necessary. Every team member has and will play a role in the technical design of their systems. Although key technical members are listed for the major subteams, technical work will be divided equally between all team members whenever possible. The team s goal is to draw on the knowledge of past members, while also giving new members hands-on experience with the design and build process. 1

7 1.2.1 Structures and Recovery Subteam The S&R subteam consists of about 25 Illinois students that meet an average of once a week. The S&R subteam is responsible for the overall design and construction of the launch vehicle. The subteam has been working on designing a rocket system that can fulfill all vehicle requirements while integrating components necessary for the payload. The subteam meetings are used to delegate tasks to members and integrate previous work into a coherent system. As the S&R manager, Andrew is responsible for planning and leading the weekly meetings. Key technical personnel include Brian and Ben. Brian has been leading the recovery system design efforts while Ben has been leading simulation work for the system. The technical work done by the S&R subteam as a whole is detailed in Section 4.2 Structures and Recovery Payload Subteam The Payload subteam consists of about 15 Illinois students that meet an average of once a week. The Payload subteam is responsible for the design and construction of the camera imaging system and landing system necessary to fulfill the requirements of experiment option 1 (landing detection and controlled landing). The subteam has been working on a design that can be relatively easily integrated into a standard high powered rocket. The subteam meetings are used to delegate tasks and allow for easy discussion between members. As the Payload manager, Chris is responsible for the planning and leading these weekly meetings and also serves as the technical expert on the camera system. Key technical personnel include Ryan and Victoria. Ryan has been leading the mechanical landing leg design efforts and Victoria has been spearheading efforts to develop the computer vision software required to complete the target identification goals. The technical work done by the Payload subteam as a whole is detailed in Section Minor Subteams Minor subteams consisting of a few student members each work on various tasks of the project that don t involve the technical design of the system. One such subteam, led by Basilios, will work on the team website, which will serve as a hub of technical documents, news, and member information. Another subteam, led by Lui, will work on educational outreach efforts. A third subteam, led by Nicholas, will work on creating and enforcing a safety plan. These subteams don t have dedicated meeting times and will instead work during subteam and combined team meetings as necessary. 1.3 NAR Section The ISS Tech Team will be working with members of Central Illinois Aerospace (CIA) to facilitate test launches and review system designs. Specifically, Mark Joseph will be the NAR mentor for the ISS Tech Team. CIA is Section 527 of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). CIA organizes bi-weekly launches at several locations close to the university, depending on the time of year and launch field conditions. The Illinois Space Society and CIA have been working together for over a decade and will continue to do so as required test flights approach. Mark has served as a mentor for the ISS Student Launch team for several years now and is very familiar with the rules and layout of the competition. 2

8 2. FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT 2.1 Overview Team members will have access to resources needed for the design, manufacturing, and testing phases of the project. Through the Illinois Space Society and the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, members will have workspaces and equipment made available to them. For launches, the teams will be working with the local NAR chapter, Central Illinois Aerospace, to procure the fields necessary for high powered rocket flights. 2.2 Team and Subteam Design Meeting Workspaces Registered student organizations (RSO s) such as the Illinois Space Society are provided with meeting rooms, typically located in Talbot Laboratory (which houses the UIUC Aerospace Engineering Department). During the design phase of the Student Launch project, the team will meet in conference rooms, classrooms, and smaller lecture halls to work collaboratively. These work spaces have been reserved by the team for specific times to ensure that there is a room suitable for collaboration among team members. Weekly room reservations have been made for the sub-team meetings and a combined general team meeting. During weeks of importance, such as near document due dates, additional room reservations can be easily made as necessary. A consistent weekly schedule also helps ensure steady attendance to the meetings from week to week. Most of the rooms accessible to the team and used for the meetings have chalkboards or whiteboards, projectors, conference tables, individual desks, and chairs. These rooms are of sufficient size to hold the amount of attending members. Additionally, the rooms are temperature controlled to provide a comfortable environment regardless of the state of the highly variable Illinois climate. These rooms and resources facilitate communication and cooperation among team members and are valuable for project success. An example of one such room can be seen in Figure 1 below. Figure 1: Payload subteam design meeting in a typical classroom environment. 3

9 2.3 Build Session Workspaces The team also has access to multiple lab work spaces in the basement of Talbot Laboratory. Construction of the rocket structure and payload will take place primarily in these labs. As the need arises, the team has access to many other facilities located on the University of Illinois campus Talbot Undergraduate Labs The majority of construction will be done in rooms 18A and 18B found in the basement of Talbot Lab. These work spaces are maintained by the aerospace department and are available to use for all student projects and organizations such as the student launch team. Dr. Brian Woodard, the director of undergraduate programs for the aerospace department, manages the labs. Dr. Woodard is readily available to the team to give instruction on how to properly utilize the equipment found in these labs. The first work space, 18A, houses multiple 3D printers, a laser cutter, and multiple work benches. The 3D printers are free to use and will allow the team to manufacture custom parts used in the avionics/payload bays and save money that might have been spent at a machine shop or an outside 3D printing outfit. The laser cutter can be used for custom cutting shapes out of sheets of fiberglass or wood, such as fins, centering rings, or bulkheads. The work benches in this room can be used for all non-epoxy related construction and are equipped with side-mounted vices. The room also houses a tool cabinet with a socket set and other common tools such as blades and rulers that are available for team use free of charge. Room 18A is pictured below in Figure 2. Figure 2: Talbot Lab Room 18A houses 3D printers, a laser cutter, and work benches. The second work space, 18B, houses more work benches, a table saw, and additional tools. The primary use for the room will be for all epoxy applications, since the team is allowed to use the work benches for that application. The disk sander will serve as an easy way to sand the end of rods and tubing to ensure close and clean connections. Any wood cutting work can be done with the included table saw. Another tool cabinet with commonly used tools can also be found in this room. Room 18B is pictured below in Figure 3. 4

10 Figure 3: Talbot Lab Room 18B houses work benches, a disk sander, and a table saw. Finally, a third room, 18C, in the basement serves as a storage area for RSO s such as the Illinois Space Society. It is in this room that the student launch team will store all components used during the construction of the rocket. Additionally, the team has access to tools owned by the society. This includes power drills, Dremel rotary tools, soldering sets, and many sized screwdriver and drill bit sets. A picture of this storage space is provided in Figure 4. Figure 4: The Illinois Space Society's storage space in Room 18C. 5

11 2.3.2 Other Manufacturing Facilities For specialized work that cannot be done in either of the provided undergraduate workspaces, the university is home to many facilities that can prove useful throughout the course of the competition. Many machine shops, including one located in Talbot Lab are available to the team if custom and precise machining is required. A composites lab, also located in Talbot Lab, is available to the team to use for custom composites fabrication, should the team choose to include this in the design. That lab also houses a diamond saw, which will likely be used for cutting the fins from a sheet of fiberglass. Finally, multiple 3D printing shops are available on campus should the team need to print parts with greater density or greater size than what the printers located in room 18A can produce. 2.4 Accessibility All facilities used by the team, both for design and build meetings, are fully accessible to all team members at all times of the day. Card access is given to all team members for access to Talbot Lab after work hours (6 PM). Ramps and elevator access to all utilized rooms make every Student Launch meeting handicap accessible. All signs identifying the room numbers include a translation to written braille underneath. Access to the storage space in 18C is restricted to managers who are given card access to the room, to ensure a level of security proper for this project. 2.5 Facility Safety Features The undergraduate labs where construction will occur are properly equipped to facilitate safe building practices for the type of materials and work the team will be using. All team and subteam leads will promote the use of these features to prevent and limit any potential harm to team members. To prevent hearing loss during the use of loud equipment such as the disk sander, earplugs are available for all team members to use. For hand protection, the Illinois Space Society keeps a stock of latex-free gloves for use when working with epoxy and other such applications. Goggles are available and will be used whenever work is done in the lab spaces. Full face shields are available when cutting work is being done or the belt sander is used. Finally, respirators are available for when any work involving harmful dust particles is done, such as the cutting or sanding of fiberglass. Both workspaces are equipped with industrial hand soap and sinks to properly wash hands following and during construction. This is especially needed when using any sort of epoxy. Should light injuries such as cuts occur, the labs are equipped with multiple first aid kits to properly treat the affected area. These first aid kits contain bandages and hydrogen peroxide to clean and cover any cuts. In the event of fire, the labs are equipped with fire extinguishers in both rooms and multiple exits are located nearby in the event that leaving the lab is necessary. 6

12 2.6 Launch Sites The team will be working with Central Illinois Aerospace, a chapter of the NAR, to procure fields necessary for the subscale and final test flights. CIA has access to multiple fields for high powered rocketry launches and is capable of obtaining FAA waivers for some of these fields that can support a rocket launch with a target apogee of 5,280 ft. These sites consist of both local parks and local farms that are more than big enough to support these launches. Target drift distances on any built rocket will be adjusted based on the site used for launch, in order to avoid any damage to persons or property. 7

13 3. SAFETY 3.1 Safety Overview The safety of all team members is of the absolute highest priority for the ISS Student Launch competition team. Should a situation arise in which a project-critical choice needs to be made, this priority comes above even the success of the project. The safety officer this year will be Nicholas Martin, who will be in charge of a small team that will conduct a thorough analysis of any hazards the team may encounter this year when building or launching the rocket. Nicholas and the safety team will also implement plans and procedures to minimize the risk of these hazards. This year, using a combination of safety briefings and online classes, the team will actively encourage participation in the creation of and adherence to safety procedures. Safety training will be required from any member that wishes to participate in construction or attend a launch. By keeping paperwork on which procedures members have been instructed on and having key safety members actively involved at every build session, the team can insure that everyone working in lab spaces knows what to do when everything is going well and what to do in the rare event that something goes wrong. 3.2 Safety Plan Risk Assessment In order to better prepare for the construction that will start late this semester and next semester, it is important to have a clear idea of what risks students will face during the course of the project. To that end the safety team has completed a risk analysis of the materials, facilities, and machinery that the team will most likely encounter throughout the next eight months. This includes analysis of the probability of injury from these items and the extent of injuries if they were to occur. Note that this section (Section 3) covers only the hazards that affect the well-being of team members. A thorough analysis of hazards and risks that affect the health of the project is presented in Section and Section These sections discuss risks that affect the structure and recoverability of the rocket and those that affect the completion of the experiment, respectively. 8

14 Materials Table 1 below presents the possible risks associated with some of the materials that the team will be using throughout the duration of the project. The table covers the risk of injury when using the material and the extent of these possible injuries. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for all materials are posted on the shared google drive the team works from and will be posted on the team website once that is fully established. Material Blue Tube 2.0 Probability of Injury Low Table 1: Material Hazard Analysis Possible Risks Can have sharp edges when cut that can result in minor flesh wounds. Fiberglass Low Can cause irritation of the eyes and irritation of the skin. Can be dangerous to inhale and can cause respiratory issues when cutting or sanding down. Black Powder Epoxy LiPo Batteries Moderate Low to Moderate Possible bodily injuries such as skin burns. Respiratory issues if inhaled. Can cause irritant contact dermatitis and allergic reactions if it comes in contact with skin. Hands, wrists, and eyes are the most exposed places. Mitigation Use gloves when handling Blue Tube that has been recently cut, before it is sanded. When cutting or sanding fiberglass, gloves, goggles, and a respirator must be worn at all times. Fiberglass will only be cut and sanded in properly ventilated areas that are approved by the safety officer. Black powder will only be handled by the team mentor or any other member with the proper certification to work with black powder. Gloves will always be worn when working with epoxy, and changed at any sign of damage. Goggles will be worn when mixing epoxy to avoid splashing into the eyes. Uncured epoxy is to be treated as hazardous waste and is to be disposed as such. Low Can explode if punctured. Batteries will be properly stored when not in use to prevent any possible structural damage. 9

15 Facilities Table 2 below presents the possible risks associated with working in the workspaces the team will be using during the competition. The table covers the risk of injury of various dangers associated with the work and launch spaces, and the extent of these possible injuries. All team members are required to complete extensive online lab safety classes and briefings before working in the labs in order to minimize risk of injury. Table 2: Facility Hazard Analysis Facility Lab Workspace Electrical Hazards Testing Dangers Launch Dangers Probability of Injury Low Low Low to Moderate Moderate Possible Risks Trips and other mishaps if not maintained properly. Possible electric shock: can cause severe burns, muscle pains, seizures, and even unconsciousness; possible fire hazard. Potential bodily injury, including burns and fractures, as well as damage to the rocket. Potential bodily harm as well as damage to the rocket, payload equipment, or the surrounding environment. Mitigation Work area should be properly maintained at all times: 1.) Work area must be clean and well lit at all times. 2.) Do not operate any power tools in volatile environments. 3.) Do not operate any machinery that poses any threat of danger in the presence of distractions. Make sure team knows proper grounding procedures. Ensure safety of equipment and workspace before working with circuit boards and power cords. Every test of the rocket, including launch test, ignition test, and any other tests relating to the rocket, will be conducted and supervised by the team mentor. All team members involved will be briefed on the inherent, and the proper safety precautions to follow. All launches will be conducted in compliance with NAR High Power Rocket Safety Code, FAA Regulations, and all other laws, regulations, or safety codes that pertain. All team members will be familiarized with the NAR safety code. The team mentor will be present to ensure safe motor handling. Safety and flight readiness checklists will be created and followed in order to reduce risk. 10

16 Environmental Safety Low Possible damage to launch site and landing site. Safety officer, team mentor, and other experienced members will work together to ensure that the launch site is in a safe condition and the rocket is securely fastened so that it does not become disconnected, causing pieces to fall out Machinery Table 3 below presents the possible risks associated with the machinery the team will be using during the competition. The table covers the risk of injury of various dangers associated with tools that will be used, and the extent of these possible injuries. All team members are required to receive training on the use of each tool before they will be allowed to use them. Table 3: Machinery Hazard Analysis Risk Probability Impact Solution 3D Printer Low Hot surfaces - printer head block and UV lamp. Printing materials such as thermoplastics can be flammable. Keep body parts away from 3D printer when it is in use. Only those with proper training will be permitted to use the 3D Diamond Table Saw Moderate 1.) Injuries can occur if hands slip or if they are placed too close to the saw. 2.) Kickbacks can occur if blade height is not correct or if the blade is not maintained properly. 3.) The cutting action of the blade may throw wood, chips, and splinters. printer. 1.) Use a guard at all times and use a push stick for small pieces of material. Keep hands out of the line of cut. 2.) Make sure blade height is correct before cutting, maintain and sharpen blade, and stand at the side of the saw blade to avoid injury in case of kickback. 3.) Remove cracked blades from service, maintain sharp blades, and always wear eye protection when using the table saw. Only those with proper training will be allowed to use the table saw. 11

17 Risk Probability Impact Solution Laser Cutter Low Lasers emit high levels of energy and can be hazardous to eyes and skin. Power Drill Needle & Syringe (for Application of Epoxy) Dremel Rotary Tool Tools (Screwdrivers, Hacksaw, etc.) Low to Moderate Low Low to Moderate Low to Moderate Permanent bodily injury can occur due to hands slipping or misuse. Needlestick injuries which can cause exposure to blood and other infectious materials. Sharp, fast rotating object. Can cause permanent injury to the operator or other s bodies. Possible fire hazard if it is used in explosive environments due to sparks igniting dust or fumes. Tools such as screwdrivers, hacksaws, and screws are sharp and can puncture the skin. Only those with proper training will be permitted to operate the laser cutter. Always keep drill bits sharp, drill small pilot holes before drilling large holes, and make sure the chuck is securely tightened before use. Exercise proper care when dealing with needles. Expose of all needles properly in sharps containers. Keep bystanders away while operating this tool. Do not operate in explosive environments, such as in the presence of flammable liquid or dust. Exercise extreme care when using any of these tools, be aware of surroundings at all times and do not use when someone else is within arms distance Safety Briefings In order to better facilitate the spread of knowledge on safe practices, the safety officer will brief the team on hazard recognition and accident avoidance any time he sees fit, especially before launching, testing, and construction. These safety briefings will be led by the safety team and include the acknowledgement of all hazards and risks associated with the relevant work. Mandatory safety protocol will also be emphasized to the team: wearing safety glasses, wearing respirators when working with fiberglass, being properly dressed for construction, and being knowledgeable about rocket launch safety protocol. The team will not only address what to do in case of emergency, but more importantly how to avoid emergencies in the first place. More details on team-wide safety requirements can be found in the next section. 12

18 3.2.3 Member Requirements All members of the team are required by the University of Illinois to complete mandatory safety training. The required safety courses are Electrical Safety for Labs and General Laboratory Safety and are provided by the University. The Electrical Safety for Labs course provides an awareness of basic electrical safety concepts involving household-level voltages that should be followed in laboratories to avoid electrical shock, damage to sensitive equipment, and the ignition of combustible materials. The General Laboratory Safety course provides information regarding standard laboratory safety guidelines, laboratory signs and labels, personal protective equipment, working with biological/chemical/radiological materials, waste disposal, and emergency preparedness. Additionally, all members of the team will be required to read, sign, and date a general safety contract written by the safety officer. This contract will include all general safety hazards and the NAR High Power safety code. If the safety officer sees that any of these requirements are not met, or if the safety contract is breached in anyway by a member of the team, he will have the power to prohibit that member from doing any project-related work. Finally, the Student Launch team will be required to read and abide by all of the rules in the ISS Tech Team Safety Policy, which can be referenced in APPENDIX C: ISS Tech Team Safety Policy. 3.3 NAR Mentor Mark Joseph will be the NAR team mentor for the ISS Student Launch team for this year s competition. Mark has worked with the team for several years now and is familiar with competition and its structure. Mark s primary role outside of general design guidance will be to handle all handling of energetics and the explosive motor fuel grains the team will need to utilize Energetics Handling In addition to providing valuable design input and accompanying the team to Huntsville, the NAR team mentor will also be tasked with the handling of all energetics. This includes the motors used in both the full scale and subscale vehicle, as well as the e-match ejection charges that will separate the rocket at apogee and deploy the three parachute Motor Purchase and Storage Motor storage, transportation, and preparation will be in accordance with the National Fire Protection Agency, specifically NFPA code The motor shall be stored in a Type 3 or Type 4 indoor magazine because the chosen rocket motor is under 50 lbs. Transportation of the motor will comply with 49 CFR Subchapter C Hazardous Materials Regulation, which covers the packaging, handling, and transportation of high-power rocket motors. The operations manual for the motor will be posted on the team website as soon as the motor arrives. When purchasing motors, ISS will purchase from the particular vendor using Mark Joseph s NAR number. Once the Student Launch team receives the motors from the storefront, Mark will store the motors until needed. This ensures that Mark will be the only one to interact with the explosive fuel grain. Only the team mentor will handle, purchase, store, and transport all explosives and motors. There will also be fire extinguishers on hand in all locations where construction or 13

19 storage will take place. Safety officer will brief the team on launch procedure etiquette, as well as accident avoidance and hazard recognition. All team members will be required to review and sign a team safety agreement and abide by the terms within, which include all pertinent laws and regulations. Environmental regulations will be referenced during the course of this project to ensure compliance. The group s safety officer is responsible for finding these relevant regulations for the handling and proper disposal of hazardous or environmentally harmful materials. 3.4 Compliance The team agrees to comply with the following safety related codes and requirements described in this section. The safety team will brief the team as a whole on these codes and requirements, and all members will have to individually sign a document stating that they agree to comply with these safety related measures. These documents will be included as an appendix in the following design reviews, and members will not be allowed to help with construction until their name is on these documents NAR High Power Safety Code The team will comply with the High Power Rocket Safety Code provided on the NAR website that has been effective since August The 13 step code and Minimum Distance Table on the website will be reviewed by the safety officer. All members on the team will be required to read the safety code online as it is a relatively short list of codes. The rules set forth by the NAR High Power Rocketry Code will always be respected and followed as they are set to ensure the safety of people and the environment. The safety officer, team manager, and subteam managers will always make sure to comply with the safety code and ensure the rest of the team is properly complying. A copy of the NAR High Power Rocketry Code is included in this report as APPENDIX E: NAR High Power Rocket Safety Code Federal Aviation Requirements The team will comply with all laws and regulations set forth by the FAA in terms of using airspace for test launches and quadcopter flights. The team s safety officer will be responsible for educating all involved members of the regulations regarding the use of airspace: Federal Aviation Regulations 14 CFR, Subchapter F, Part 101, Subpart C; Amateur Rockets, Code of Federal Regulation 27 Part 55: Commerce in Explosives; and fire prevention, NFPA1127, Code for High Power Rocket Motors. ; as well as all applicable laws. ISS will be contacting the FAA before any test flights are done, but only after having approval from the local RSO. All of the flights will be suborbital, remain in the United States, and be evaluated and deemed safe for all members of the team and community. A copy of this code is located on the shared team google drive and will be posted on the team website once that is completed. 14

20 3.4.3 Range Safety Officer Authority The team will comply with the range safety officer at the competition launch in Huntsville, AL and at the test launches for the vehicle. All team members present at the test launches and competition launch will be instructed to listen to all instructions given by the range safety officer and will understand that the officer has the final say on whether or not the final rocket flies. Members will also be given a briefing before attending launches by the safety officer and other experienced rocketry personnel about launch field expectations and safety protocol. Also, team members participating in the preparation of the rocket on launch day will create a procedures list prior to the date. 15

21 4. TECHNICAL DESIGN 4.1 Project Overview The team has chosen to tackle option 1 (landing detection and controlled landing) to satisfy the experiment requirement for this year s Student Launch competition. To that end, the team has put together a comprehensive design for a high powered rocket that will house a payload capable of completing the tasks of the experiment, be capable of reaching a mile in altitude, and be safely recoverable. This technical design section has been broken up in two main components, one being structures and recovery and the other being payload. The structures and recovery section will go into detail on how the team will satisfy the altitude, structural, and recovery requirements of the competition. This includes a thorough description of the flight of the rocket and the separation and recovery events that will need to occur during flight to satisfy completion requirements. The payload section will describe in detail the camera system and landing system required to both detect the tarps on the ground and ensure a vertical landing once the camera system reaches the ground. The section will describe the electronics necessary for the camera system to function and the mechanical system that will be employed to vertically land. Definition for success are also defined in the payload section. 4.2 Structures and Recovery System Overview The rocket designed to house the chosen payload incorporates many design choices typical of a dual deploy high powered rocket. However, the team s design differs from a traditional dual deploy high powered rocket in one major way. In order to limit the load on the landing leg system, the rocket will physically separate at apogee into two sections. One section from the bottom of the rocket includes the booster tube and an avionics coupler. The other section from the top end of the rocket includes the payload coupler, some airframe tubing, and the nosecone. Following apogee, the bottom section follows the standard dual deploy model. After separation, a tether keeps the main parachute bundle closed until it s deployment is desired. A drogue parachute deploys from the middle of the section two seconds after apogee to slow down this heavy section in preparation of main deployment. Once the booster tube reaches an altitude of 700 ft AGL, the main parachute is untethered and fully deploys. From this position, the rocket can safely land, ready for recovery and reuse. Following apogee, the top section relies on a single deployment of a payload parachute two seconds following apogee. This parachute slows the upper section enough so that the landing legs located on the bottom end of this section can allow the system to land upright once it reaches the ground. Figure 5 on the next page illustrates the procession of events from launch to landing for the rocket design. 16

22 Figure 5: Overview of major flight events Table of Requirements Table 4 below presents the requirements for the performance and design of the vehicle as set forth by either NASA or the team, and the section of the report that addresses that requirement and how the current design fulfills it. Table 4: Vehicle and Recovery Requirements Requirement The payload shall be delivered to an altitude of 5280 ft AGL. A commercially available altimeter shall record the official altitude. All recovery electronics shall be powered by commercially available batteries. The launch vehicle shall be recoverable and reusable. The launch vehicle shall have a maximum of 4 independent sections. The launch vehicle shall be limited to a single stage. The launch vehicle shall be prepared for flight at launch site within 4 hours The launch vehicle shall be capable of remaining ready to launch on pad for 1 hour Requirement Source Section Addressed Vehicle Requirements Vehicle Requirements Vehicle Requirements Vehicle Requirements Vehicle Requirements Vehicle Requirements Vehicle Requirements Vehicle Requirements

23 Requirement Requirement Source Section Addressed The launch vehicle shall be capable of being Vehicle Requirements launched by a standard 12 volt DC firing system. The vehicle shall require no external circuitry to Vehicle Requirements launch. The motor shall be commercially available. Vehicle Requirements Pressure vessels on the vehicle shall adhere to certain criteria. Vehicle Requirements 1.12 N/A, no pressure vessels used Motor shall not have a total impulse greater than Vehicle Requirements Ns. The vehicle shall have a minimum stability Vehicle Requirements margin of 2.0 at rail exit. The vehicle shall exit the rail at a minimum Vehicle Requirements velocity of 52 fps. Any structural protuberances on the rocket shall be located aft of the burnout center of gravity. Vehicle Requirements The vehicle shall not utilize forward canards. Vehicle Requirements The vehicle shall not utilize forward firing Vehicle Requirements motors. The motor shall not expel titanium sponges. Vehicle Requirements The vehicle shall not utilize hybrid motors. Vehicle Requirements The vehicle shall not utilize a cluster of motors. Vehicle Requirements The vehicle shall not utilize friction fitting for Vehicle Requirements motors. The vehicle shall not exceed Mach 1 at any point Vehicle Requirements during flight. Vehicle ballast shall not exceed 10% of total Vehicle Requirements weight. Drogue event shall occur at apogee. Recovery System Requirements 2.1 Max kinetic energy of any independent section Recovery System at landing shall not exceed 75 ft-lbf. Requirements 2.3 The recovery system shall be electrically Recovery System independent of any payload circuits. Requirements 2.4 Recovery system shall contain redundant Recovery System altimeters. Requirements 2.5 Parachute deployment shall not use motor Recovery System ejection. Requirements 2.6 Each altimeter shall be armed by a dedicated Recovery System switch on exterior of rocket airframe. Each altimeters shall have a dedicated power supply. 18 Requirements 2.7 Recovery System Requirements

24 Requirement Each arming switch shall be capable of being locked in the ON position for launch. Removable shear pins shall be used for main and drogue parachute compartments. Launch vehicle shall be trackable during and after flight. Recovery system shall not suffer from any interference from other components in vehicle. Requirement Source Recovery System Requirements 2.9 Recovery System Requirements 2.10 Recovery System Requirements 2.11 Recovery System Requirements 2.12 Section Addressed Projected Mass Overview Table 5 below presents the estimated mass breakdown of the total system as of this milestone. In order to more clearly present the data, the mass statement has been broken down by subsystems. A complete mass total, including all of these subsystems, is presented at the bottom of the table. Unknown masses, such as the completed payload system or epoxy totals are given builtin margins in anticipation of future mass growth. The team has accurately estimated the mass of its system for the last few years of the competition. Adding significant excess margin mass can affect the performance of the rocket once a design is constructed. Years of experience and access to prior year s mass estimates give the team great confidence in the following mass report. Should any systems change by the next design review, this statement will be revised and motor selection and structural design will be fine-tuned to optimize performance. Table 5: Projected Mass Statement Item Total Mass [lb] Use Structure: Booster Tube 5.00 Outer Airframe for Booster Section Avionics Switch Band 0.34 Switch Band for Avionics Bay Leg Insert/ Main Parachute Bay Tubing 2.20 Leg Insert/ Main Parachute Bay Upper Airframe 2.52 Houses Payload Parachute Trapezoidal Fins (3) 4.25 Fins Motor Mount Tube 0.71 Motor Mount Tube Centering Rings (3) 0.36 Centering Rings Epoxy and Resin 0.25 Structural Joints Aeropack Motor Retainer 0.25 Motor Retainer Avionics Coupler 1.85 Avionics Coupler Tubing 6 Coupler Bulkhead (4) 0.64 Bulkhead for Coupler Tubing 6 Airframe Bulkhead (4) 0.60 Bulkhead for Airframe Tubing Fiberglass Nosecone 1.78 Nosecone Nuts, Bolts, Washers, and Screws 0.10 Connections 19

25 Item Total Mass [lb] Use 1515 Rail Button (2) 0.05 Connection to Launch Rail Margin 0.20 Future Growth Structures Total Mass: Recovery Equipment Stratologger CF (2) 0.05 Altimeter Telemetrum 2.0 (2) 0.05 Altimeter/Tracker 9V Battery (2) 0.20 Battery for Stratologger 9V Battery Clip (2) 0.03 Attach 9V Batteries to Sleds Telemetrum Li-Po Battery (2) 0.05 Battery for Telemetrum Payload Parachute Parachute for Payload Section Main Parachute Main Parachute Drogue Parachute Drogue Parachute 20 ft Tubular Kevlar (3) Shock Cord for all Parachutes Jolly Logic (2) 0.30 Tether for Main Parachute Quick Links (4) 1.00 Attachment Hardware Charge Cups (6) 0.10 Black Powder Container Nylon Shear Pins 0.01 Shear Pins ¼ Threaded Rods (6) 0.20 Mounts for Sleds 1/8 Plywood Sheet 0.10 Sleds for Mounting Equipment Terminal Blocks (4) 0.05 Connect Altimeters to Black Powder Charges Rotary Switches (4) 0.10 For Activating Altimeters on the Pad Margin 0.25 Further Growth Recovery Equipment Total Mass: 4.00 Motor Equipment L1170FJ-P Reload Kit 6.17 Motor Fuel Grain RMS 75/5120 Motor Casing 3.00 Motor Casing 75mm Forward Closure 1.00 Closure for Motor Casing 75mm Aft Closure 0.83 Closure for Motor Casing Motor Equipment Total Mass: Payload (Camera System) Raspberry Pi Zero (2) Image Analysis Raspberry Pi Camera V2 (2) Image Capture Raspberry Pi Zero Camera Cable 0.02 Image Analysis (2) LiPo 12V 500mAh Battery (2) 0.22 Power to Camera System DC-DC Converter (2) 0.01 Use LiPo with Raspberry Pi Altimeter Module MS5607 (2) Image Analysis Tool 20

26 Item Total Mass [lb] Use Acrylic Cutout (2) 0.80 Allows Cameras to See 3D Printed Camera Mount (2) 0.10 Angle Cameras for Better FOV Wooden Sled (2) 0.15 House Equipment Angle Bracket (2) 0.10 Connect sleds to threaded rods ¼ Threaded Rods (4) 0.20 Mounts for Sleds Nuts, Bolts, Washers, and Screws 0.05 Connections Margin 0.17 Further Growth Camera System Total Mass: 1.90 Payload (Landing System) Inner Leg Segment (4) 0.42 Inner Landing Legs Outer Leg Segment (4) 0.28 Outer Landing Legs Bulkhead Leg Hinge (4) 0.05 Connects Legs to Bulkhead Nuts, Bolts, Washers, and Screws 0.15 Connections Torsion Spring ( in*lb.) (4) 0.02 Torsion Spring Torsion Spring (-4.5 in*lb.) (4) 0.02 Torsion Spring Margin 0.16 Further Growth Landing System Total Mass: 1.10 Total Mass of System:

27 Modeling of Structure The proposed system as described in this report was modeled in NX 10 as a tool to present the design. Figure 6 below shows the completed system as it would sit on the launch rail and color coded based on the four independent sections that will land. Figure 6: Full rocket color-coded by section. A drawing showing some general dimensions of the design is presented below as Figure 7. The rocket has a total height of approximately 10 feet and a diameter of roughly 6 inches. Figure 7: Dimensioned drawing of design. 22

28 The trapezoidal fins were also dimensioned and are presented below Material Selection Figure 8: Dimensioned drawing of fin Airframe and Coupler Tubing The team debated between many different options of materials to use for the rocket. Several potential materials were discussed for use based on prior team experience and research into popular options within the high powered rocketry community. After discussion, airframe material was quickly narrowed down to three options: fiberglass, Blue Tube, and carbon fiber. Materials such as aluminum and other heavy metals were quickly ruled out due to large of manufacturing challenges and an increased cost that wouldn t translate into a noticeable performance benefit. To decide between the three remaining materials, pros and cons for each material had to be weighed against each other. Blue Tube is slightly less dense than fiberglass and would save roughly three pounds of weight, but it would not provide the same level of structural integrity as fiberglass would be able to provide. Fiberglass provides the payload team with a greater amount of manufacturing flexibility, being easier to make large, irregular cuts into the fiberglass for insertion of the payload components. Each material was later assessed in a trade study and evaluated for its respective advantages and disadvantages as seen in Table 6 below. A score of 5 represents the best possible score in a category, while 1 represents the poorest possible score in a category. While fiberglass was the material that was agreed upon by the team due to the higher level of strength it provides in relation to Blue Tube, Blue Tube offers a viable alternative should fiberglass prove to be ineffective for any reason. Carbon fiber was ruled out as an alternative due to its higher cost. 23

29 Table 6: Airframe Material Trade Study Figure of Merit Blue Tube 2.0 Fiberglass Carbon fiber Cost: Strength: Ease of Manufacturing/Access: Fins The material to be used for the fins was decided upon by the team to be fiberglass, although other viable options were present. Fiberglass fins offer a large amount of strength and stability, with minimal risk of shearing off of the body tube or of cracking, and were also considered heavily because of the team s choice to use fiberglass for the body tube. Aircraft plywood was discussed as well, and would be a good option due to the low cost and the ease of manufacturability. However, the weight of the rocket as a whole demands fins that can withstand the brunt force of a direct impact. This is something aircraft plywood simply can t provide, even if the plywood structure is supplemented with a composite coating for additional strength. Carbon fiber was also discussed, but as was the case with the body tube, the high cost diverted the team s attention from it. A trade study of the top fin materials can be found in the following table, with the same scoring system as the table above. Table 7: Fin Material Trade Study Figure of Merit Fiberglass Aircraft Plywood Carbon Fiber Cost: Strength: Ease of Manufacturing: Other Structural Components The team also came to a consensus on the materials for many other sections, albeit in a slightly more streamlined manner than that described for fin and tubing material selection. Due to a lack of options at this rocket diameter, the nose cone will be pre-bought, and made of fiberglass. All centering rings will be constructed of aircraft grade plywood due to its advantage over fiberglass when it comes to applying epoxy and because of the manufacturing ease it holds over fiberglass. Using the aircraft plywood will allow for easier construction of the coupler sections, where ease is desired due to the small enclosed spaces. 24

30 4.2.3 Construction Methods The team decided that the rocket is to be built from fiberglass and separate into a total of 4 sections. These sections will consist of two main, independent sections, the upper airframe (the payload parachute, nosecone, payload s body tube, and payload i.e. camera and landing legs) and the booster tube (including drogue parachute, coupler, main parachute, motor and fins). Each main section will be furthered divided into tethered sub-sections. To accomplish the proposal stated previously, shear pins will be used to ensure that sections stay together during launch but are separable when needed. Fins will be attached to the booster tube using epoxy. A fin jig will be utilized to ensure the fins are positioned and placement symmetrically around the booster tube. The fin jig will also aid as a stand to allow the epoxy time to set and adhere the fins effectively. Fiberglass is a hazardous material, and as such, respirators will always be worn when cutting or sanding of the body tubes is required. For each section created, a snug fit will be made between sections and tiny holes will be drilled through both adjoining piece of each section to accommodate shear pins to be inserted to securely hold both sections in place. It was determined that the fins will be adhered to the booster tube using epoxy. Epoxy adhesive was determined to be the most effective bonding agent that gives the strength needed at the adhesion points, adds minimal weight to the structure and allows for fillets to be created to improve aerodynamics around the fins. The proper placement of each fin will be ensured through the use of a fin jig. This is a tool that will be manufactured from plywood, and used to keep the proper alignment of each fin as the epoxy adhesive sets. Epoxy will also be used to secure any other immobile parts of the rocket, such as the base board for all necessary avionics, bulkheads, and centering rings. Based on the multiple facets and complexities of the build, the team has laid out a tentative build schedule to ensure all parts of the construction are completed and completed in the right order. Table 8: Tentative Building Schedule Task Date to be Completed Sub-scale rocket parts ordered November 2016 Sub-scale rocket built December 2016 Sub-scale rocket launch December 2016 Full-scale rocket parts ordered January 2017 Full-scale construction February 2017 Full-scale rocket test flight March 2017 Competition launch April 2017 The team has also decided that during the construction phase of the rocket build, meetings will be held either weekly or biweekly depending on scenarios that arise during construction. For instances that require the epoxy to be cured, construction will be halted while other details are worked on. Throughout the first semester and leading up to the start of the construction phase, subteam leads and the safety team will work on a thorough building schedule and agenda to better organize the build session. 25

31 4.2.4 Motor Selection and Justification The motor the team has decided to utilize is the AeroTech L1170FJ-P. As per requirements, this motor is not a hybrid motor and the rocket will not employ a cluster of these motors. Additionally, the design is not utilizing any forward firing motors, and the motor selected does not expel titanium sponges. This motor is also able to be ignited using a 12 volt firing system. For high powered rocketry, a thrust to weight ratio greater than or equal 5 is generally considered to be safe. Using OpenRocket software as well as the characteristics of the chosen motor, the rocket will have a thrust to weight ratio of As a result, the vehicle should leave the launch rail at a safe and stable velocity. In order to ensure a stable release from an 8-foot-long 1515 launch rail and fulfill competition requirements, the rocket will have to have an off-rail velocity greater than 52 ft/s. Achieving this velocity will provide sufficient airflow over the rocket s fins to provide a correcting force to further stabilize the rocket. Based on the simulations provided by OpenRocket software, the off-rail velocity of the rocket is projected to be around 60.9 ft/s. This is greater than the 52 ft/s required velocity. Additional information regarding the specifications of the motor the team has chosen can be found at thrustcurve.org. As seen in the figure provided below, the motor achieves a maximum thrust of lbf in roughly 0.1 seconds. This quick peak value in the thrust curve results in the high off-rail velocity that the current design achieves despite it s weight. Further analysis shows that the motor continues to provide an average thrust of lbf for a total burn time of around 3.7 seconds. The total impulse that is generated by the L1170FJ-P motor is lbf*s. Figure 9: Aerotech L1170FJ-P thrust curve. 26

32 Motor Casing Housing the L1170FJ-P is an RMS 75/5120 motor casing. The aluminum casing contains the heavy temperature and force loads that the motor provides and provides a proper environment for the propellant to burn. The motor casing also serves as the lower attachment point for the drogue parachute. A dimensioned drawing of the motor casing, provided by the manufacturer, is presented below. Figure 10: RMS 75/5120 dimensioned schematic. 27

33 Motor Mount Tube Housing the motor casing will be a motor mount tube constructed of fiberglass that will integrate the motor casing with the rest of rocket. A series of three centering rings will attach the motor mount tube to the larger outer airframe and keep the thrust of the motor pointing downwards. A model of the motor mount tube is included below as Figure 11. Figure 11: Motor mount tube Motor Retainer The final component of the motor subsystem is the AeroPack motor retainer, shown on the next page in Figure 12. This is a high strength aluminum component used to prevent the motor from shifting its position forward or aft during flight. The retainer consists of two pieces: a body and a screw on cap. The body of the retainer is permanently fixed to the lowest centering ring. After the motor case is slid into the rocket, the retainer cap securely threads on to the body of the retainer. This prevents the motor from inadvertently moving during flight and also provides a quick method of loading and removing the motor casing. Figure 12: Aeropack 75mm flanged motor retainer. 28

34 4.2.5 Recovery The team will use three total parachutes for this rocket, one referred to as a main parachute, one a payload parachute, and one a drogue parachute. The main will be an Iris Ultra 96, owned and already successfully used by the team in previous years. The drogue will be a standard 18 elliptical parachute purchased from Fruity Chutes. Finally, the payload parachute will be a SkyAngle Model C2 from b2 Rocketry that the team owns and has successfully deployed in prior years. At apogee, the rocket will split into two main parts via black powder ejection charges. One section from the bottom of the rocket includes the booster tube and an avionics coupler and is modeled below as Figure 13. The other section from the top end of the rocket includes the payload coupler, some airframe tubing, and the nosecone. This top section is modeled below in Figure 14. Figure 13: Lower section after separation at apogee. Figure 14: Upper section of the rocket which separates at apogee. 29

35 Following apogee, the bottom section follows the standard dual deploy model. After separation, a Jolly Logic Chute Release keeps the main parachute bundle closed until it s deployment is desired. A drogue parachute deploys from the middle of the bottom section two seconds after apogee to slow down this heavy section in preparation of main deployment. The splitting bottom part will be tethered together, so the parts will stay together after the drogue is deployed from the middle. Once the booster tube reaches an altitude of 700 ft AGL, the main parachute is untethered and fully deploys. From this position, the rocket can safely land, ready for recovery and reuse. The two tethered sections following drogue deployment are visually identified below. Figure 15: Booster section, which is tethered to avionics bay, following drogue deployment. Figure 16: Avionics bay and main parachute bay following drogue deployment. 30

36 Following apogee, the top section relies on a single deployment of a payload parachute two seconds following apogee. This parachute slows the upper section enough so that the landing legs located on the bottom end of this section can allow the system to land upright once it reaches the ground. The payload parachute will open from beneath the nose cone. The nose cone will be tethered to the payload with a shock cord so they will remain together. Nylon shear pins will be used to keep the sections of the rocket together until separation is desired. At the desired ejection point, black powder charges will shear these pins off, allowing for separation. Exact sizing and numbering of shear pins used will be determined once masses are better defined. Figure 5 illustrates the procession of events from launch to landing for the current rocket design Avionics Hardware Four altimeters will be used with two Chute Releases for the deployment of the parachutes. Two altimeters will be used on the upper airframe and two will be used on the booster section of the vehicle. The booster section and the upper airframe will each have one of PerfectFlite s StratoLoggerCF and one of Altus Metrum s TeleMetrum 2.0. Both of these altimeters are commercially available and use a barometer to measure altitude. The StratoLogger will be used as the primary altimeter with the TeleMetrum acting as the secondary altimeter. While each of these altimeters are able to have two deployment events, two altimeters are needed for both sections to have a fully redundant system. Having a fully redundant system is desired for something that is crucial for safety. These altimeters will send current from their respective batteries to e-matches which will be connected to black powder charges. These charges will be used for the recovery events StratoLogger The StratoLogger is powered by a commercial 9-volt battery. The altimeter is capable of being connected to a switch, allowing it to be turned on from the outside of the vehicle before launch. The StratoLogger has a small speaker that communicates different parameters about the flight via a series of beeps before launch. These beeps will tell the team when the parachutes will be deployed and that there is continuity to the e-matches. Continuity is important to check since it will ensure the e-matches are lit and therefor allow the vehicle to be recovered safely. After the vehicle has landed, the altimeter will emit a new series of beeps which reports the altitude of the last flight. This will allow the altitude to be recorded by the NASA official on launch day. The StratoLogger is also resistant to loss of power. The altimeter will stay on for a full two seconds without connection to the battery. This resistance adds security to the altimeter s data collection without any additional complexity. The StratoLogger was also chosen because members of the student launch team have used StratoLoggers successfully on other high power rockets. The PerfectFlite allows the team to pull flight profile, altitude, and velocity from the altimeter following launch. 31

37 TeleMetrum The second altimeter that will be used in this system is the TeleMetrum. This altimeter is powered by a lithium ion battery that can be obtained commercially. The TeleMetrum is similar to the StratoLogger in that it can be connected to a switch, emits beeps for different flight parameters, and is capable of dual deployment events. The switch will allow the TeleMetrum to be turned on at the launch pad and off before the competition altimeters altitude is reported to the NASA official. Each altimeter will have its own rotary switch so they can be turned on and off independently. Unlike the StratoLogger, the TeleMetrum has GPS capabilities. The TeleMetrum has an on-board integrated GPS receiver which will allow it to transmit its coordinates to the ground station s dongle in real time. The dongle interfaces with a computer at the ground station via USB. Two TeleMetrums will be used to track the booster section and the upper airframe as well as providing redundancy to the deployment of the parachutes. The AltOS software allows the team to both get a live feed of the rocket s GPS coordinates and export flight profile data for later analysis. Members of the team have experience using the TeleMetrum, giving the team confidence for its use in this competition Chute Release Two Jolly Logic Chute Releases will be used in the avionics system of the vehicle. These Chute Releases will allow the main parachute to be ejected at apogee but not deploy until the desired altitude. The Chute Release is an altimeter with a pin and lock mechanism as seen in Figure 17. Using the buttons on the face of the altimeter, the altitude for the deployment of the parachute can be specified from 100 ft to 1,000 ft at 100 ft increments. To use the Chute Release, the pin of the system is connected to the altimeter using a rubber band. The rubber band is then wrapped around the bundled parachute. The pin is then placed into the lock which is controlled by a servo motor. When the vehicle reaches the specified altitude, the servo will release the pin, allowing the parachute to be deployed. The Chute Release has a test setting. This will allow the team to test the test the parachute bundling and ensure that the parachute will be released without interference at the specified altitude. Two Chute Releases will be used on both the main parachute and the payload parachute. The two Chute Releases will be linked together in series. When one Chute Release deploys the parachute will be allowed to become unbundled. This will allow the Chute Releases to be fully redundant. Figure 17: A Jolly Logic Chute Release. 32

38 Avionics Electrical Setup Figure 18: Electrical schematics for the booster section. Figure 19: Electrical schematic for the payload section. The avionics electrical schematics for the vehicle are shown above in Figure 18 and Figure 19. These figures show the wiring from the respective batteries to the charges used for the recovery events. For the booster section of the rocket, there will be both a primary and secondary 33

39 altimeter system. The primary system will be powered by a 9V battery which will turned on with a rotary switch such that it can be accessed outside the rocket. The rotary switch is able to be locked into the on position when the rocket is waiting on the launch pad to ensure that the recovery equipment will remain on throughout the duration of flight. The primary altimeter is the StratoLoggerCF, which will trigger the ejection charges when the rocket reaches its apogee. The secondary altimeter system is used for redundancy in the case that the primary system fails to deploy the parachutes at apogee. The secondary system will consist of a Telemetrum 2.0 powered by a 4V LiPo battery. In terms of the payload section, the setup will be generally the same. However, this section will only be utilizing one ejection charge for its parachute. The altimeters will be wired to the e-matches through terminal blocks on the outside of the coupler. This will allow the e-matches to be switched connected and disconnected with ease Avionics Sleds All avionics hardware will be mounted to 1/8 plywood sleds that are then mounted to two threaded aluminum rods to ensure that the fragile and valuable altimeters will stay in place and safe throughout the duration of flight. Figure 20 below provides a model of both sides of the lower avionics sled. The stratologger is colored green, the stratologger magenta, the 9V is colored brown, and the 4V LiPo powering the telemetrum is colored silver. Note that while the placement of most of the hardware is somewhat arbitrary, it is required for the proper function of the GPS function for the telememtrum to be orientated in the way that it is (parallel with the roll axis of the rocket). Figure 20: Both sides of the lower avionics sled. The size of the avionics coupler is limited insomuch as a shoulder length of six inches is required on both ends to ensure proper stability for the connections between the coupler and 34

40 airframes. Consequently, the space inside the coupler is relatively underutilized, a fact which may drive design in the future. The payload sleds in the upper section of the aircraft also house a couple altimeters to control the deployment of the payload parachute and are pictured below in Figure 21. Figure 21: Payload electronics sleds. The placement of items on these sleds were decided on more deliberately due to the increased amount of hardware and decreased amount of space when compared to the avionics sleds Attachment Hardware Tubular Kevlar will be used as the shock cord for this vehicle. The shock cord will be used to keep the nosecone and upper airframe connected to the payload parachute and it will keep the coupler section and booster section connected to the main and drogue parachutes. The tubular Kevlar will be ½ inch in width. ½ inch tubular Kevlar can withstand forces greater than 7,200 lbs. This is strong enough to withstand the forces created by the recovery system, notably during the parachute deployments. To attach the shock cord to the parachute in a safe and secure way, the shroud lines will be passed through a loop in in the shock cord and then the parachute 35

41 will be passed through the looped shroud lines. The shock cord that is attached to the motor mount will be done so by using a steel quick link and a steel eye bolt. The eye bolt will be attached to the top of the motor mount in a slot designed for this purpose. The steel quick link attaches the Kevlar shock cord to the steel eye bolt. This quick link allows for easy assembling on launch day as well as increases safety. The drogue parachute will be attached to the avionics bay. A U-bolt will be screwed into a plywood bulkhead that is attached to the avionics bay. The U-bolt will be attached using a nut and washer on each side of the bulkhead. In order to ensure that everything is structurally sound, epoxy will also be added to the nuts and washers. The main parachute will be attached to the other side of the avionics bay using the same technique of the drogue. The payload parachute will be attached to a bulkhead in the upper airframe using a quick link and U-bolt in similar fashion as the other parachutes. The bulkhead will be epoxied into place in the upper airframe. Shear pins will be used to connect the nosecone to the upper airframe, couple to the upper airframe, and coupler to the booster section. The shear pins will be able to keep the rocket together during launch and the coasting sections of the vehicle s launch. The shear pins will break when the black powder charges detonate, thus allowing the sections of the vehicle to separate. The main parachute will be stored in between the coupler section and the upper airframe. The drogue parachute is housed in the booster section, under the coupler. The payload parachute is housed in the upper airframe under the nosecone. The amount of shear pins needed in each of these joints will be calculated at a later time when ejection charge testing begins Simulation Methods In order to get a sense as to the performance and stability of the design, the team utilized OpenRocket simulation software. While the team has a history using OpenRocket and the software is highly regarded within the high powered rocketry community, utilizes additional simulation software as the project moves forward will give the team greater confidence in the performance of the flight vehicle OpenRocket OpenRocket is one of the simulation programs that will be used to predict the flight of the vehicle. OpenRocket allows the user to create a high powered rocket design. The user can choose different body tube lengths, diameter, and material for the sections of the vehicle. The software also allows for masses of the avionics and payload to be added to the simulated vehicle. OpenRocket s fin construction offers many options including trapezoidal and freeform. The thickness, lengths, number of fins, and fin tabs are parameters that OpenRocket allows the user to set. Different stages can also be simulated using OpenRocket. This is an important option as the vehicle in this year s competition will descend in two separate sections. Once the vehicle has been designed, it calculates the center of pressure and center of gravity and displays the stability in calibers. The software also simulates the vehicle s flight and can be used to export altitude, velocity, drift distances, and acceleration. OpenRocket has also been used by team members on previous rocket designs. It was used by team members for last year s student launch competition. OpenRocket s simulated apogee has been a good prediction in other rocket designs that members of the team have built before. OpenRocket was chosen as the main simulation software for the student launch 36

42 because of the flexibility in the vehicle's design, the accuracy of the simulation based on previous years, and the team s familiarity with the software. Figure 22 below shows the current design modeled in OpenRocket. Figure 22: Current design modeled in OpenRocket. 37

43 RockSim As the team moves forward, the team will be supplementing data from OpenRocket with RockSim, a software package developed by Apogee Components. In terms of functionality and appearance, RockSim and OpenRocket are very similar pieces of software. However, RockSim has more robust options in terms of controlling drag coefficients and staging and the data provided by the two software packages can be compared against each other and future test flights in order to best design the final launch vehicle. RockSim is available to the team at a reduced price for members who want to work from home and the computers in the aerospace computer laboratory come equipped with the software so no purchase is actually necessary. Figure 23 below shows a sample image of the RockSim V9 software. Figure 23: Sample rocket modeled in RockSim V9. 38

44 Custom MATLAB Simulator A custom MATLAB simulation will be written to predict the flight of the vehicle. The simulation will take in different parameters of the vehicle, e.g. fin shape, cd of vehicle, parachutes sizes, and motor thrust curve. The simulation will predict altitude, velocity, acceleration, and drift distances for different wind speeds. The data from the simulation will be used to predict exit rail velocity and descent speeds. These will allow the team to confirm OpenRocket and RockSim predictions and allow the team be confident that the vehicle will have a safe flight. The custom simulation will take the equations of motion and solve them using numerical methods. MATLAB s ode45 function will be used in the simulation. Ode45 takes in the time span which to solve the equations, initial conditions, and the function where the equations of motion are and solves them. It uses a Runge-Kutta (4,5) method with a variable time step for efficient computation. This will allow the simulation to run quickly while still remain accurate to the 5th order with an accumulated error to the 4th order Hand Calculations Rounding out the team s simulation tools will be some old school calculations by hand using readily available equations found online. Hand calculations are used in this report to calculate terminal velocities and kinetic energies on impact of the four section of the launch vehicle. In future reports, the team will hand calculate values such as the center of pressure and apogee. These calculations will serve to strengthen the team s confidence in the design s expected performance as the project heads towards manufacturing and testing. 39

45 4.2.7 System Performance Flight Profile Analysis In order to determine maximum altitudes, velocities, and accelerations, the team utilized the OpenRocket software to generate a predicted flight profile from which the aforementioned values could be determine. A plot of this flight profile, also created by OpenRocket, is displayed below as Figure 24. Figure 24: Simulated flight profile, velocity, and acceleration from OpenRocket. According to the OpenRocket data, apogee will take place at an altitude of about 5,292 ft (~1 mile) at a time of 18.1 seconds into the flight. The max velocity that the rocket will reach is about 664 ft/s, and the maximum acceleration will be about ft/s 2 or 7.49 g. The maximum Mach value of the design is represented by the equation where M is max Mach number, V is the max velocity of the rocket (ft/s), and a is the local speed of sound (ft/s). For the purposes of proposal, the team used a first order speed of sound estimated value of 1125 ft/s. According to this equation and data supplied by OpenRocket, max Mach number will be around In addition to satisfying the sonic flight requirement of the competition, at this max Mach number the team will not have to worry about transonic effects Stability Stability is an important factor to consider when designing any high powered rocket. The Cg must be located sufficiently far enough up the rocket away from the Cp in order for the fins and other aerodynamic surfaces to provide a sufficient restoring force to the rocket as it encounter disturbances such as wind during flight. At the same time, two high of a separation between Cp and Cg could result in too high of a restoring moment, resulting in a tendency for the 40

46 rocket to follow the direction of disturbances. With that in mind the team aimed for a launch pad stability margin of around 2 calibers, as measured using the following equation. where D is the diameter of the rocket (in), and Cp and Cg are measured from the tip of the nosecone in inches. OpenRocket was utilized for the purposes of calculating stability margin (in calibers). According to the software, the stability of the completed design as it would sit on the launch rail is 2.06 calibers, shown below in Figure 25. Along with this the rocket will have a Cg from the nosecone and a Cp from the nosecone. Generally speaking, a margin significantly below 2 calibers is considered understable, while a margin significantly above 2 calibers is considered overstable. This stability will only increase before it leaves the rail, insuring that the stability margin will be above 2 calibers at time of rail exit as required by the competition. The team also used OpenRocket to plot the stability margin of the rocket as a function of time during flight and found that the rocket will continue to be stable throughout the motor burn and coasting stages of flight. This plot is presented below as Figure 26. Figure 25: Stability of vehicle as it sits on launch pad as calculated by OpenRocket. Figure 26: Stability as a function of time since motor ignition. 41

47 Another important aspect to consider when designing a stable rocket is the rail exit velocity of the system. The fins and other aerodynamic surfaces can only provide a sufficiently high restoring moment if the rocket is traveling at ample speeds once it s off the rail. Based on the simulations provided by OpenRocket software, the off-rail velocity of the rocket is projected to be around 60.9 ft/s. This is noticeably larger than the 45 fps recommended by the hobbyist rocketry community and satisfies the 52 fps exit velocity requirement of the competition Kinetic Energy It is important to consider terminal velocities and kinetic energy on impact when sizing parachutes for any high powered rocket. If a rocket falls down too fast and hard, individual components such as the fins or body tubing can become damaged if not outright unrepairable. Since the team is interested in creating a launch vehicle that is truly reusable, parachutes must be adequately sized to limit the kinetic energy of the vehicle on impact. This is also a requirement set forth by NASA, with an upper limit on kinetic energy on impact for any individual section of the rocket at 75 ft*lbf. In order to determine the kinetic energy of each section of the rocket, the terminal velocities under each parachute must first be analyzed. Knowing the weight under the parachute, the drag coefficient of the chute, and the area of the chute, the terminal velocity of the two falling sections can be determined using the following equation: With density of air approximated to a constant lbm/ft 3 and g equal to ft/s 2. Table 9 below gives performance data for the chosen parachutes. Next, Table 10 gives a mass breakdown for each of the four sections that will be landing and how much mass is under each parachute. Finally, Table 11 presents the calculated terminal velocity values for the payload under its own shoot and the bottom half of the rocket under both drogue and main. Table 9: Performance Characteristics of Chosen Parachutes Recovery Device Model Cd Diameter Main Parachute Iris Ultra Drogue Parachute Fruity Chutes Elliptical Payload Parachute Skyangle Model C Table 10: Mass under Each Parachute Broken Down by Section Section Mass [lbm] Drogue Parachute Section 1: Avionics Coupler 5.59 Section 2: Booster Tube Mass Under Drogue:

48 Section Mass [lbm] Main Parachute Section 1: Avionics Coupler 5.59 Section 2: Booster Tube Mass Under Main: 21.9 Payload Parachute Section 3: Payload (Camera + Landing) Section 4: Nosecone 1.78 Mass Under Payload Chute: Table 11: Terminal Velocity of Each Section of the Vehicle Section Booster + Avionics Coupler (bottom half) Under Drogue Parachute: Under Main Parachute: Payload + Nosecone (upper half) Under Payload Parachute: Terminal Velocity ft/s ft/s ft/s These values fall largely within what the high powered rocketry community considers a safe descent speed. These recommendations include a drogue descent between ft/s and a main descent between ft/s. The main and payload parachutes are already owned by the team and have been used in prior years successfully. While drift distance is no longer a requirement for the competition, drift is still on a lower level of priority, both to help retrieval efforts and to ensure the payload will have a good view of the detection tarps during its descent. With terminal velocities known, kinetic energy (E k ) can be calculated using the following equation where m is the mass in slugs, and v T is the terminal velocity in ft/s. Table 12 below gives a breakdown of the impact kinetic energy of the four sections of the rocket. All calculated kinetic energy values fall comfortably below the 75 ft*lbf limit set by the competition. Table 12: Kinetic Energy of Each Section of the Vehicle at Impact Section Kinetic Energy [ft*lbf] 1. Avionics Coupler Booster Tube Payload Nosecone

49 4.2.8 Risk Analysis In order to anticipate any safety or operational hazards that could arise during the launch process, the structures and recovery team conducted an analysis to identify specific vehicleassociated risks and their consequences. The likelihood of each risk event was also evaluated and given a ranking from 1 to 5, with level-1 events considered rare and level-5 events considered frequent. A description of all identified structural risks, as well as mitigation strategies for each, can be found below in Table 13. Table 13: Structures and Recovery Risk Analysis Risk Consequence Mitigation Likelihood (1-5) Motor retainer fails on the launch pad or during flight Unrestrained motor falls out the bottom of rocket Secure motor retainer to lower centering ring with epoxy; ensure aft retainer cap is secure before launch 1 Motor mount tube separates from outer airframe during launch Unrestrained motor travels through rocket body or falls out the bottom Adequately coat centering rings with epoxy when affixing motor mount inside booster tube 1 Motor ignition fails Vehicle fails to launch Ensure igniter is placed as far up the motor as possible; review launch sequence beforehand 3 Motor ignition is delayed or the motor chuffs before full ignition Non-optimal vehicle performance off the launch rail Ensure adequate placement of igniter; inspect propellant grains for obvious defects before motor assembly; buy motors from trusted manufacturers 2 Motor ignites prematurely Vehicle launches unexpectedly; high risk to bystanders Keep open flames and heat sources away from rocket at all times during setup; only arm igniter immediately before launch 1 Motor backfires or experiences a severe internal anomaly during flight Loss of the vehicle Inspect propellant grains for obvious defects before motor assembly; buy motors from trusted manufacturers 1 44

50 Risk Consequence Mitigation Likelihood (1-5) Rail buttons scrape excessively along launch rail Decreased vehicle performance Ensure rail buttons are a proper fit for the launch rail being used; avoid use of excessive rail buttons 1 One or more fins separate from the vehicle during launch Loss of stability Attach fins with multiple epoxy fillets on both the motor mount tube and outer airframe 1 Vehicle spins excessively during launch Possible damage to sensitive internal components Use a fin jig during construction to maintain vertical alignment of fins 2 Main parachute ejection charges fail Booster and payload sections do not separate; main parachute cannot deploy Test ejection charge systems beforehand; use redundant charges and altimeters 1 Drogue parachute ejection charges fail Drogue parachute cannot deploy; high descent speeds will prevent deployment of main parachute Test ejection charge systems beforehand; use redundant charges and altimeters 1 Payload parachute ejection charges fail Payload parachute cannot deploy; loss of payload section Test ejection charge systems beforehand; use redundant charges and altimeters 1 Main parachute tether systems fail Main parachute cannot deploy; damage likely to booster section Test ejection charge systems beforehand; use redundant charges and altimeters 1 Rocket sections do not separate after ejection charges detonate Parachute stored between given sections cannot deploy; possible loss of vehicle section Calculate appropriate shear pin and black powder charge sizes; conduct ground tests of complete ejection system (rocket sections, parachutes, charges, and shear pins) 2 Altimeters lose power during flight No flight data is recorded Test altimeter systems beforehand; confirm sufficient battery voltage prior to launch 2 45

51 Risk Consequence Mitigation Likelihood (1-5) Outer airframe fractures during flight Loss of stability; possible damage to internal components or loss of vehicle Perform adequate material studies prior to selecting vehicle components 1 Vehicle sections drift excessively far or into hazardous terrain Parts of vehicle are unrecoverable or require excessive time to locate Model the vehicle s flight characteristics and size parachutes appropriately to minimize drift distance 3 One or more vehicle components fracture upon landing Time-consuming repairs required before a second launch can take place Use simulations to predict and implement sufficiently low descent velocities; ensure all outer components (particularly fins) are securely fixed to vehicle body with epoxy 2 46

52 4.3 Payload System Overview The team will develop a payload capable of meeting the requirements of the Landing Detection and Controlled Landing topic for the NASA Student Launch competition. This technical challenge has relevance to recent developments in reusable launch vehicles as well as the field of planetary entry, descent, and landing. The payload designed by the team will test image processing techniques onboard an aerospace vehicle. After the images have been collected, a technique will be tested to land the payload section upright (in the same orientation it was at launch). Requirements for the successful completion of this payload have been identified from the NASA Student Launch handbook. Additional requirements have been placed on the payload internally, by the team, to create a clear set of goals moving forward. All of these requirements are summarized in Table 14 below. Table 14: Payload Requirements Requirement Requirement Section Source Addressed The payload must be capable of identifying three tarps Payload on the launch field, verified by post-flight human analysis of the images. Requirements The payload must be able to differentiate these three Payload tarps based on color. Requirements All data processing must occur in real time during flight. Payload The output of the data processing may be collected after recovery of the rocket. Requirements The software performing the data processing may make Payload use of open source image processing libraries, but otherwise should be custom made. Requirements The launch vehicle section containing the camera shall Payload land upright. Requirements Payload must be able to function for at least 90 minutes Vehicle Requirements 1.8 The payload system shall fit in a 6 inch or smaller Internal diameter rocket. The payload system shall have a weight of less than 3 lb. Internal The system designed to meet these requirements will be located above the main coupler in the rocket body, and will deploy at apogee. Two cameras built into each side of the rocket will image downwards during flight, allowing them to capture the ground targets both on ascent and under parachute. The cameras will feed their images to the set of onboard Raspberry Pi Zeros, where they will be analyzed using custom software, constructed by the team, to locate the tarps 47

53 within the images. Altimeters for the Pi Zeros will be used to determine relative tarp sizing by correlating the altitude with the images taken. This will work as to not confuse tents or other objects for the tarps. This software will make use of image processing algorithms to identify regions of the images captured that share similar color characteristics. Testing by the team using the samples provided will help define a range of colors that the system will positively identify. This section of the rocket will complete an upright final landing making use of four spring loaded landing legs. These landing legs will be contained within a coupler section of tubing, which will be loaded into the body tube to ensure they do not deploy during ascent. They will extend immediately after the section is jettisoned at apogee by the ejection charges. A rendering of the full system can be seen in Figure 27 below. Figure 27: Rendering of the full payload system in its launch configuration. The payload section is designed to have a total weight of less than three pounds, according to the internal team requirement. The payload section is comprised of the mechanical landing legs and the camera system. The total electronics hardware and camera system will weigh about 1.73 lbs. The landing leg system will consist of 4 mechanical legs, each comprised 48

54 of an inner and outer segment with torsion springs, held together with various nuts and screws. The landing legs have a total weight of 0.94 lb., leading to an estimated system weight of 2.67 lb. This leaves a 12% margin available for mass growth below the 3 lb. subsystem requirement. The full component level mass budget for the current design can be seen in Section of the Structures and Recovery section of the proposal. The structural mass of the rocket encapsulating this system (i.e. body tubes, bulkheads) has been accounted for separately in the structures and recovery mass. The specifics of the current design for both the mechanical landing subsystem and the image processing subsystem are included in the following sections Mechanical Landing Subsystem Subsystem Overview The landing subsystem has the responsibilities of maintaining the camera payload section in a vertical orientation during landing, fitting into a six-inch body tube during flight, having the durability to survive multiple flights, and having a low mass. Landing system concepts have been evaluated on these requirements in addition to the criteria of (1) compact storage during boosted flight, (2) deployment simplicity, and (3) landing stability on slopes up to 40 degrees. Three separate concepts were developed by the team and their relative merit was studied. These concepts are summarized below: Option 1: Externally stored legs with torsion spring deployment 1. Legs would store vertically along the outside of the payload body tube in the airstream. This decreases internal space required for leg storage at the expense of increased drag. 2. Torsion spring pivots ensure legs maintain a neutral open position when the rear of the legs are clear of the lower stage coupler. Closed position maintained by extending pivot end of leg past the stage coupler, preventing rotation when in boosted flight. Stage separation then frees legs to rotate to the neutral configuration. 3. Leg length is limited to payload bay length, allowing for a payload landing platform with a width two times the height of the payload tube. Option 2: Rear-deployment of internally stored legs 1. Legs fold and slide into rear of payload bay tube. Increased payload bay size required for storage with benefit of no additional drag during boost. 2. Compression springs push leg assembly towards rear of payload bay, where torsion spring pivots rotate to a neutral open position once legs clear rear of payload bay directly following stage separation. Each leg requires a second pivot to double leg length while decreasing payload bay size. Increased complexity with a two-step deployment configuration. 3. Leg length is limited to internal payload storage volume and number of additional leg pivots. Preferred option utilizes a second pivot, allowing for a landing platform with a width equal to the height of the payload tube. Option 3: Through the tube deployment of internally stored legs 1. Two-pivot torsion spring legs fold into lower payload tube coupler. Increased payload bay size required for storage with benefit of no additional drag during boost. 2. Torsion springs deploy double-hinged legs through slots in the tube coupler immediately following stage-separation. Each leg requires two pivots to double leg length while 49

55 decreasing payload bay volume. Single step deployment decreases complexity while providing the same drag benefits as Option Two. 3. Leg length is limited by coupler length. Preferred option utilizes a coupler six inches in length and diameter. With a two-pivot leg, landing platform width will be approximately 16 inches wide (equal to or greater than payload height). Option 3 has been chosen as the baseline design for the payload landing system. This design provides excellent stability and reliability while still maintaining a relatively simple construction. The current design can be seen in its deployed configuration in Figure 28. Figure 28: The landing system in its fully deployed configuration. The landing leg system is composed of 4 legs, each with a pivot mounted to a bulkhead acting as the first joint. The bulkhead will act as a stable surface to mount the legs to, and also serve as a barrier to protect the leg system from the parachute ejection charges. Both pivot points will consist of a bolt held in place with a nut (refer to Figure 29); this will make it easy to replace the legs in case one is bent or damaged in any way. When folded into the upper body tube there will be one contact point between the outer leg and the interior wall of the coupler body tube. This surface will be polished to ensure minimal friction during leg deployment. The legs will fold out through the payload stage coupler; requiring 4 slots 0.5 wide in the coupler for the legs to fold through. These slots will be covered by the booster stage body tube during launch. After separation at apogee, the coupler slots will be clear of booster tube, allowing the legs to deploy. When folded, the legs will have a total width of 0.5. There will be a torsion spring located inside each pivot to assist the unfolding process and maintain an open position during descent/impact. The leg section attached to the bulkhead will be 5 ¾ in length. and the distance 50

56 between each pivot will be 5. The second leg section will be 5 ¾ in length. The inner leg will have a consistent height of ¾ and the outer leg will have a height of ¾ with a downward taper to approximately ¼ at leg-tip. The radius of the deployed legs will be 12 from the center of the rocket. As the outer leg unfolds there will be a contact surface on both the inner and outer legs to prevent the leg segment pivot from overextending beyond 180 degrees. The legs will likely be custom machined of aluminum, and testing will determine if other aluminum is adequate or if other materials are required. The total weight of the leg system will be approximately 0.91 lbs. The payload/landing system will not face interference from the tethered nose cone during descent if the tether (shock cord) is of sufficient length. Figure 29: Exploded view of the landing leg connection mechanism Launch Vehicle Integration The upper stage has four slots in the coupler, for each of the legs to unfold through. The legs are folded into coupler as it is loaded into the booster stage. They will be held in place by hand as the booster body tube is placed over the upper stage coupler. The reaction force from the booster body tube will keep the legs folded and compressed. There will be one contact point between each leg and the booster stage body tube. That contact point will be a polished smooth surface to minimize the friction between the legs and the body tube. The team will test to ensure friction forces will not interfere with stage separation. An alternate retaining solution will be developed if there is danger of stage separation jamming. The landing leg subsystem will be deployed as the booster stage separates from the upper stage. The separation will occur at apogee as the black powder ejection charge is ignited and parachutes are released. The legs are attached to a bulkhead to protect them from the black power charges. As the booster body tube separates from the upper stage, the torsion springs will cause the legs to unfold. These legs are then held extended by spring tension. This process is shown in Figure 30 below. Future testing will determine if a locking mechanism, besides spring tension, will be necessary to prevent collapse. Figure 30: Landing leg deployment sequence. 51

57 Structures Prototyping and Testing Testing the hardware of the payload will be done to verify the landing capabilities of the upper airframe of the vehicle. There will be two parts to testing the payload landing system: preliminary testing and flight testing. Preliminary testing of the system will be done separate from the vehicle while the flight testing will be done during the test flight of the vehicle. Preliminary testing will validate the different system components separately and then the system as a whole. Preliminary testing will be considered a success if all components operate as desired and the system is able to complete the tasks in a test environment. Flight testing will be considered a success if the system deploys fully at apogee and lands upright. As a preliminary step, the designed landing system will be created using additive manufacturing prior to the Critical Design Review. While the legs of the final version will be made of aluminum, the team will test torsion springs of various strengths on an PLA 3D printed prototype of the subsystem. The prototype subsystem will be stress-tested by dropping it from various heights with estimated payload weights. Drop heights will be chosen for calculated impact velocity. These tests will allow the team to validate some parts of the design, especially the ability of the system to withstand impact, and to land in the correct orientation on large slopes. Mass will be added as necessary to ballast the system to the expected flight configuration. Since the maximum stress of aluminum is 45,000 psi and the weight of the upper airframe is less than 10 lbs., stress testing the aluminum of the landing legs will not be necessary. The hinges used to extend the landing legs will have forces applied to them to test the joint rigidity and strength. The springs used for the deployment of the landing legs will be attached to a force gauge and extended to the designed length to ensure they produce enough force for deployment. The joint between the legs and the upper airframe of the vehicle will also be tested for impact resistance. The hinge attached to the upper airframe will also have forces applied to ensure it has the impact resistance needed during the landing of the payload section. Once the individual components have been tested and the system has been constructed, systems of the payload will be tested. The deployment of the legs will be tested first. The upper airframe will be lowered into another six-inch diameter body tube with the legs folded inside. The upper airframe will then be pulled free of the lower section, allowing the landing legs to deploy. The legs must deploy to their full length and not interfere with the separation from the body tube for this test to be considered a success. The upper airframe will then be subjected to a vertical stability test. The system will be balanced at different angles to determine the angle at which the system can land before it tips over. The system will also be dropped from a sufficient height to replicate its velocity under parachute onto sloped surfaces to ensure the system will not tip over due to hazards in the field. The next test will test system landing ability under the descent of a parachute. The system will be dropped from a height that will allow full parachute inflation. This will be the last test before the flight test. For the flight test, the landing system will be loaded into the vehicle during launch setup. The system will be launched and the payload will be deployed at apogee. It will then descend under a parachute and land. The flight will be used to validate the successful deployment of the legs after drogue parachute ejection, as well as the ability of the system to perform a fully upright landing under flight conditions. 52

58 Deliverables The results of the tests will be recorded in Table 15 as tests are completed. If the test is unsuccessful, the outcome will still be recorded so improvements to the system can be made. After improvements have been made, the tests will be rerun until the whole system works as desired. Since the preliminary testing will start at the component level, testing may be done in a different order than what is listed below. Table 15: Landing Legs Subsystem Testing Test Requirements Results Extended Leg Strength Hinge Strength Spring Strength Leg Deployment Vertical Stability Test Parachute Descent Complete Flight Test The extended landing legs should withstand the expected landing forces. The hinge connecting the landing legs to the body tube must withstand the force of landing. The deployment spring should supply a sufficient force to extend landing legs immediately after drogue ejection. The landing legs should separate from a 6 inch body tube and deploy to their full length. The payload must return to a stable upright position after tilting as much as 40 degrees from vertical. The payload must descend under a parachute and land upright. The payload must deploy landing legs to full length at apogee, and land upright. Date Completed Image Processing Subsystem Subsystem Overview The image processing subsystem consists of two cameras each connected to an independent Raspberry Pi Zero. This subsystem will be activated by an external switch which will control power to all of the components. The cameras will be positioned on opposite sides of the payload bay angled downward to increase the ground area captured in frame. These cameras will be capturing images at an estimated rate of one frame per second, beginning at activation. The Raspberry Pi Zeros will then run those captured images through the team s image processing software to determine the presence or absence of the targets. Altimeters specific to this subsystem will be used, one for each camera, to determine the expected size of the tarps in the images. If the software detects the targets in an image, it will store the image and relevant proof of detection onto the SD card storage device. The proof of identification and differentiation can later be presented on any machine capable of interfacing with the SD card. Each of the redundant systems will have its own battery, which will power the Raspberry Pi Zero, camera module, and altimeter. A schematic of the subsystem hardware can be seen in Figure 31 below. 53

59 Figure 31: Block diagram of the fully redundant image processing subsystem Processing Unit The processing unit in the image processing system has the responsibilities of receiving images from the camera, running the image processing software in real-time, and storing a form of proof of identification and differentiation of the targets. To this end, the processing unit possibilities have been evaluated on the criteria of (1) image processing capability, (2) difficulty of implementing image processing, (3) difficulty of interfacing with a camera, and (4) difficulty of interfacing with memory to store the proof. Cost, size, and weight were also considered, but fell well under the limits for each option, and are therefore considered negligible in this comparison. The team has evaluated a few hardware options that could potentially fulfill all requirements: the Trenz Electronic TE0711 FPGA, the Arduino UNO board, and the Raspberry Pi Zero board. 54

60 Option 1: Trenz Electronic TE0711 (1) The FPGA would allow the team to use programmable logic to develop a fixed and parallel image processing pipeline. This is an advantage as each image requires the same processing. (2) Such a low level hardware design dramatically increases implementation difficulty. (3) Attaching a camera to this board would require developing an interface. (4) The TE0711 does not have the memory needed, requiring additional storage be used. Option 2: Arduino Uno (1) This board is not capable of the complex image processing that will be required for this mission due to the low on-board processing power. (2) Not applicable as on-board image processing is not feasible. (3) There exist shield peripherals capable of attaching cameras to the board. (4) The Uno also does not have the memory needed built-in and would therefore require additional external storage. Option 3: Raspberry Pi zero (1) While the single-core processing chip is not capable of complex and real-time video processing, it is sufficient for this requirement. Similar processors have shown to be capable of aerial image processing, and utilization of the on-board GPU will be a point of further study. (2) With the hardware running an OS the team can utilize image processing libraries, drastically decreasing the complexity of implementation. (3) Camera boards that interface with the Raspberry Pi are readily available. (4) The built-in microsd slot will provide adequate storage for the processed images to be presented as proof of identification. Using the criteria, the team has created, the best option is the Raspberry Pi 0. It was chosen because it is able to interface with cameras, has the ability to process images on-board, can run image processing libraries, and has optional large storage capacity. In addition, the small size of the board (2.6" x 1.2" x 0.2") coupled with the light weight (0.3 oz) make this an excellent choice. While both other options have promising aspects, they were unable to satisfy all requirements. The team discussed using a single Raspberry Pi with a multiple camera module adapter instead of two Raspberry Pi Zeros. However, the multiple camera module adaptor does not allow operation of cameras simultaneously. The Raspberry Pi could perhaps be programmed to alternate activating the two cameras, but this would increase complexity of the software, and also decrease rate at which images can be analyzed from each camera. In addition, the weight of two Raspberry Pi Zeros is still less than the weight of the other, bigger Raspberry Pi models. Another factor in favor of the two separate Raspberry Pi Zeros is that two of them without the multi camera module adaptor is still less expensive than a single Raspberry Pi with the multi camera adaptor Camera Selection and Placement The two cameras selected will be located opposite of each other in the payload bay of the rocket. Both of these cameras will be positioned looking out of the rocket, at a downward angle of 45 degrees, increasing the amount of ground area searched. Even if the rocket does not fly straight, the field of view will be large enough to account for variations in the flight path of the 55

61 rocket. This angle will be optimized upon further analysis to provide the largest probability of sighting the ground targets. The cameras chosen for this system are identical Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2s. These cameras provide images with a resolution of up to 8 MP to the Raspberry Pi Zero. This system interfaces well with the Pi, allowing the team to focus efforts on developing the required code. Different models of the Raspberry Pi camera module were considered, but the Camera Module V2 provides a relatively large field of view, while not causing distortion due to a fisheye lens. The full trade between these options can be seen in Table 16 below. Table 16: Image Processing Camera Trade Study Camera Name Resolution Field of View Raspberry Pi 5MP Camera Board Module Photo: 5 MP Video: up to 1080p30 Horizontal: Vertical: Linksprite Raspberry Pi 5MP Wide Angle Photo: 5 MP Video: 1080p Horizontal: 160 Vertical: 160 Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2 Photo: 8 MP Video: 1080p60 Horizontal: 62.2 Vertical: 48.8 Both cameras will be located safely inside the rocket with no parts protruding from the payload compartment, per competition rules. To see out of the rocket, acrylic windows will be installed into this compartment. This will be done by inserting an acrylic tube matching the inside diameter of the body tube into the payload section, and then cutting 2 x 2 windows out of the body tube for the cameras to look out of. To not compromise that section of the rocket, the windows will have rounded corners to reduce the chance of fractures occurring. The acrylic will also be rigidly attached to the body tube, and it will extend much further than the area of the window, to strengthen where material was removed. A diagram of this configuration can be seen on the next page in Figure

62 Figure 32: Diagram of the payload cameras, showing the estimated available line of sight of the cameras in blue Altimeter Each Raspberry Pi Zero system will be equipped with an altimeter to enable an expected tarp size to be calculated by the image processing system. This will ensure that the system does not mistake similar objects nearby - namely team tents or vehicles - for tarps and incorrectly categorize them. The specific altimeter to be used will be an Altimeter Module MS5607 due to its low cost, size, and weight, as well as accuracy and power consumption. Each altimeter will be connected directly to the Raspberry Pi Zero and not to the battery. This ensures consistent voltage to the altimeter, so as limit the chance of an incorrect reading from the altimeter. The team is also considering using the altimeter as a means of triggering the activation of the image processing software, should the team deem the current plan ( Triggering Mechanism) to be infeasible Power Supply Using the Raspberry Pi Zero system with images captured via the camera attachment, along with the power needed for the altimeter, a 12 V 500 mah battery will be sufficient for each half of the redundant system. The energy required over 90 minutes from the time the system is powered on at the pad until after landing is significantly less than the amount provided by this battery. If this proves to be an issue after further design revisions, the team is considering changing the triggering mechanism to be activated by the altimeters of the image processing subsystem. This would cause the system to be active for only a few minutes, greatly decreasing the total energy requirement. 57

63 The altimeter itself only needs about 1.72 mah to provide data continuously for 90 minutes. The Raspberry Pi Zero and camera module will need a combined 345 mah of charge for this 90-minute period, based on similar tests done between Raspberry Pi Zeros and Raspberry Pi A s. At this consumption rate, the battery capacity needs to be rated for at least 350 mah, based on power consumption of a Raspberry Pi Zero, camera, and altimeter at 5 V. The battery being used here is a 3 cell lithium polymer battery with a voltage of 11.1 V. It will use a small transformer to step down to 5 V, and with the total capacity of the battery, the system could run for a little over two hours from a fully charged state Software The image processing subsystem will run onboard a Raspberry Pi Zero using the Raspbian Jessie Lite operating system, which will be imaged onto a microsd card. Raspbian is the Raspberry Pi Foundation's official supported operating system based on the stable distribution of Debian Linux. Raspbian comes pre-installed with vital dependencies for the image processing such as Python-based software and libraries, the language in which the software will be written. Raspbian Jessie in particular is an updated version of the operating system image that boasts improved performance and flexibility in system processes. Commonly installed tools and applications come readily incorporated such as general screenshot and camera capture functionality. It also has added support for Pi peripherals, such as the camera module. Jessie features easy accessibility as a standard user to the 40 GPIO lines on the Pi Zero hardware through Python. This includes the newer and streamlined GPIO Zero libraries. GPIO stands for General Purpose Input and Output and this feature offers the possibility of connecting to motors, sensors, and other external components to extend the system's functionality or integrating it with the avionics subsystem. Raspbian Jessie Lite is the distribution's minimal headless image version, meaning that that the operating system boots directly and only into the command line rather than a heavy graphical user interface (GUI) familiar to modern day computing. The installation of this image has multiple advantages. Jessie Lite is a much more lightweight version of the full Jessie distribution. It is roughly 1 GB smaller in size and requires less accessible RAM at any given time. This allows for more ideal allotment of the Pi's resources to the necessary processes for the image processing. The backbone of the image processing system will be built using the Linux open source computer vision framework SimpleCV, a wrapper that uses Python and the open source computer vision and machine learning software library, OpenCV. With more than 2,500 optimized algorithms, OpenCV is focused in its infrastructure toward real-time vision applications. In both syntax and structure, the SimpleCV wrapper makes more abstract functionalities of the OpenCV library approachable and easy to implement in practice. The framework internally calls harder to use functions from the OpenCV software, simplifying the user interface. It provides the necessary techniques that will be used in the team's custom codebase such as image transformations, morphological filters, image arithmetic, color spaces, feature extraction for object detection, and recognition. SimpleCV also has the ability to calibrate camera modules, which provides the function to measure the dimensions of objects in computer 58

64 vision using both intrinsic and extrinsic parameters such as focal length and determining the location of two images relative to each other, respectively. In order to ensure a robust and flexible installation of SimpleCV, the framework requires access to a few additional libraries. These libraries will allow the computer to have an interactive shell, do engineering computations in Python, package and process data, and more. After the dependencies have been properly set up, SimpleCV is then installed using pip from its Github repository. SimpleCV s features package includes the Blob module, a series of functions that use what is referred to as a blob as a parameter. SimpleCV s documentation defines a blob as a a cluster of pixels that form a feature or unique shape that allows it to be distinguished from the rest of the image. The identification of the three separate tarps will hinge on analyzing and processing various properties of pinpointed blobs in the camera s field of view. After the system has fully booted, the competition code will direct the camera to collect an image and query the altimeter for the current altitude. The custom algorithm designed by the team will then take in both pieces of data and attempt to find regions of color similar to a preprogrammed set of RGB values for each target. This set of values will be established during the testing and verification of the system. The altimeter will be used to bound the expected size of the ground targets. Once the image processing software has completed its run, if one or more of the ground targets was identified in the image, it will be saved to the onboard MicroSD card, along with a second image highlighting and differentiating the region(s) that the software identified. If no targets were identified the image will be discarded. This process will repeat until the system is powered down upon retrieval. A block diagram of the planned code can be found in Figure 33. Figure 33: Image processing software overview. 59

65 Triggering Mechanism The image processing software will be activated at the launch pad via rotary switch on the exterior of the rocket. In one position, the switch will not allow power to flow from the power source to the rest of the image processing system. In the other position, two power sources (one for each Raspberry Pi Zero) will both be allowed to supply power to the two cameras and the rest of the system. This means that once the switch is triggered, the image processing software will be on and working from setup on launch rail, until the team recovers the rocket post-landing. This method poses no problem for the system, as the tracking software does not store any images into the memory unless the tarps are located. In the case of incorrect identification, failsafes will be put into place to prevent the system from exceeding its memory capacity. The only concern of running the software from setup is power supply, and assuming that the total time from launch setup to recovery is approximately 90 minutes, the team is confident that the batteries used in the system could run continuously for this duration of time. The power requirements for the system are discussed in Power Supply above Ground Imaging Test Plan The testing of the ground imaging package will initially be done separately from the testing of the landing system because the two systems operate independent of each other. Because a lot of the ground imaging system is software based, the subsystems can easily be tested. Ground tests and a flight test will be conducted to identify which specific components need to be improved and which components function as desired. A lot of specific tests can be simulated easily without a full scale test flight with the vehicle, so they can be done earlier without waiting for the completion of the rocket or the landing leg system. For example, the camera operation and visual quality test can be done immediately when the camera is purchased and in the possession of the team. This allows early and meticulous testing of the ground imaging and target identification functions. Tests will continually be conducted to identify errors and areas in need of improvement in both the script and electronics. As the ground imaging subsystems testing continues and all the different components have been tested independently, the integration between the different components will also be tested. The main function that will be tested is the compatibility between the Raspberry Pi Zero, camera, altimeter, and power source. Tests will be conducted to make sure that each of the electronic components work successfully with each other to fulfill the competition requirements. Both the hardware and software of the ground imaging system will be tested in depth to ensure that it successfully works repeatedly and in various situations. The various environments that the system will be tested in include different types of motion, speed, lighting, background color, and other parameters that gives the system more flexibility to operate at the launch. In addition, as the other subsystems of the vehicle are completed, the integration between the subsystems will gradually be tested. First, the integration of the ground imaging subsystem with the vehicle body tube will be tested. The main criteria for this test is to confirm that the electronic hardware will fit comfortably inside the rocket on the avionics sled, that the camera can take clear footage out the acrylic windows, and that the electronics inside the body tube can be easily and securely positioned. Second, the integration with the landing legs will be tested. The ground imaging and landing leg subsystems are completely independent of each other, but a 60

66 few things can be tested between them. This includes that both the landing leg and ground imaging components can fit comfortably into the rocket body tube and that the legs in their deployed state do not interfere with the target identification. Final tests of the ground imaging subsystem will be done aboard a quadcopter and the rocket at the test flight. These two tests will allow the team to have an idea on how the system will operate in a similar environment as the competition. The aerial tests of the target identification function will give the team a better idea on how well the hardware and software operates, and where improvements can be made. Specific testing procedures will be formulated as the project continues and the team receives parts and begins construction. The procedures will include step by step instructions on how to operate the tests and the specific requirements and goals for each of them. The critical technologies for competition success will be tested on multiple occasions to ensure repetitive success. Stress tests will be conducted to ensure that the ground imaging subsystem will be able to safely withstand forces during the launch. Through the tests and the results, the team will identify areas that need changes or that can have improvements for the hardware and software aspects of the ground imaging subsystem. Testing will be continued until the team is confident that the system can successfully identify the targets on the ground with accuracy and flexibility Deliverables Table 17 identifies the specific tests that will be conducted and the goals of the test for the ground imaging payload. Most of the tests are designed to be independent from each other so each task will be conducted separately. The tests are ordered roughly in chronological order considering the timeline of the project. Each test and its result will be documented carefully through pictures, videos, and post-test written reviews. The results and date completed columns of the table below will be filled in as the testing phase proceeds. The team will analyze the test results and identify where improvements to the ground imaging subsystem can be made. Table 17: Ground Imaging Subsystem Tests Test Main Requirements Results Camera footage quality Camera operation Photo capture Raspberry Pi hardware The camera shall capture quality video and images to be able to identify solid colors from up to one mile away. The footage should have an adequate enough resolution to allow multiple pixels for the tarps on the ground. The camera shall be able to analyze video and take screenshot captures of the footage. The camera shall be able to take and save screenshot images of the video footage when the criteria for the target is met. The Raspberry Pi Zero shall be able to analyze images retrieved from the camera, data received from the altimeter, save images to the SD card, and be powered from the battery. Date Completed 61

67 Test Main Requirements Results Raspberry Pi software and target identification Altitude vs tarp size comparison Camera view through acrylic window Ground imaging hardware integration with avionics sled Landing leg subsystem integration test Stress tests Quadcopter flight test Complete flight test The Raspberry Pi Zero shall be able to identify when the targets are in its field of vision and command the camera to take a screenshot. The algorithm shall be able to identify the tarps laying on the ground in various motions and positions. The camera and altimeter shall communicate to relate the size of the target it is searching for and the altitude/distance from target. The camera shall be able to take quality footage through the acrylic window on the body tube. The effect of the curvature of the window will be identified and addressed. Also, the camera shall be able to capture a wide image of the ground below it. The camera and other hardware shall be able to fit comfortably and securely on the avionics sled. The position on the camera will be carefully adjusted to optimize view of the ground. The deployed landing legs shall not interfere with the target identification function of the system. The leg will be in the field of view of the camera but it should not be identified as a target. The entire ground imaging subsystem will be inserted into the rocket body tube on an avionics leg and shall be able to withstand motion, rotation, and vibration in all directions. The ground imaging equipment will be attached to a quadcopter and flown. Sample targets will be placed on the ground and the system shall capture images of the targets when they are identified. Various conditions can be tested because quadcopters are very versatile. The ground imaging equipment will be integrated with the rest of the payload and vehicle. Sample targets will be placed on the ground and a full function test flight will be conducted to simulate competition conditions. Date Completed 62

68 4.3.4 Risk Analysis The team understands that the proposed payload is ambitious and will require significant analysis and testing. The top risks to the successful completion of this payload have been identified and can be found in Table 18. The likelihood of these risks developing into a serious issue as well as the team s mitigation strategy for avoiding them have also been detailed. Table 18: Payload Risk Analysis Risk Consequence Mitigation All four landing legs do not pop out Parachute does not deploy Camera movement during flight Legs deploy during ascent Raspberry Pi memory full Payload battery energy depleted Inaccurate altimeter reading Payload will not land vertically Payload will not decelerate, uncontrolled in the air, upright landing unlikely Blurred or obstructed images will make target identification less likely The rocket will have broken into two pieces during ascent Inability to prove identification the target Failure to identify targets Altitude of the payload will not be accurate, image processing system may fail to identify correct targets Run multiple deployment tests, including during charge testing and the test flight. Work with structures and recovery subteam to ensure the recovery system is well tested and reliable. Use of redundant electronics. Redundant cameras have been included. Testing will occur in flight-like conditions for this segment of the system Make sure that the coupler containing the legs is secure, and that it is able to withstand the force that will be applied to it. Images will only be stored when the targets are identified positively. A failsafe will be included in the code to prevent errors due to lack of memory. The battery has been sized to greater than 90 minutes of runtime. The system will also undergo long duration. Significant ground testing of altimeter system. Test flight will show any high velocity specific issues. Code modifications to avoid large errors due to outlier data points may be required. Likelihood (1-5)

69 5. EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT 5.1 Educational Engagement Plan Throughout the duration of Student Launch competition, the ISS Student Launch team intends to actively engage educators and students throughout Champaign/Urbana and the greater central Illinois area. The team s educational outreach strategy will include significant presences at large education outreach events hosted by the Illinois Space Society and the University of Illinois College of Engineering in addition to providing demonstrations to small groups of K-12 students at local schools or extra-curricular groups. This combination of small and large events will allow the team to satisfy the educational outreach requirements of the competition. The purpose of these activities will be to not only teach the community about the basic physical principles governing rocketry and flight, but also to inspire support and participation in the future of spaceflight technologies. Since a lot of the theory behind rocketry is conceptually too abstract and advanced for younger students, engagement activities will revolve around hands-on demonstrations of basic physical principles such as Newton s laws. Activities such a constructed orbital simulator and exploration of the properties of a space shuttle title will give opportunities to teach these principles. A subteam led by Lui will be in charge of developing activities and displays for educational outreach events. Figure 34: Orbital simulator demo run by student launch team Feedback These activities will be performed throughout the duration of the project. In order to maximize the team s impact on the community, the outcome of these activities will be evaluated in order to improve future events. Students, educators, and team members will be asked to respond to surveys requesting feedback on events. The main focus of this feedback will be determining interest levels of those involved, and measure understanding of material demonstrated by the team. This will allow the team to adjust presentations in order to better educate the community in future activities. An initial draft of this feedback form is given in APPENDIX D: Education Feedback Form. The team website will also implement a contact 64

70 system wherein participants of outreach events may request further information or demonstrations from the team. 5.2 Illinois Space Day Illinois Space Day (ISD) is an event hosted by the Illinois Space Society. ISD will be held on October 15 th, ISD features a keynote speaker, a student panel, science demonstrations, and various space themed exhibits. The team plans on operating continuous activities in order to facilitate indirect interactions with the community. However, the team will also use this event to provide direct interactions with students and educators. In order to do this, the team will hold scheduled demonstrations as referenced earlier at advertised times in order to allow structured hands-on demonstrations. Information about Illinois Space Day can be found on the ISS website ( ISD provides a chance for the Student Launch team to interact with a large group of K-12 students, and it will serve as a large contributor to the 200 direct, hands-on, engagements required by the competition. At least 100 student attendees are currently expected based on registration numbers. 5.3 Small Local Events The Illinois Space Society and the College of Engineering offer numerous opportunities for small-scale educational engagement activities. Particularly, the Illinois Space Society features an Educational Outreach team which has established relationships with many local schools. This offers a convenient starting point for engagement. The team intends on contacting schools in Mahomet, Urbana, and Champaign, Illinois to offer educational services to students. The team intends on offering hands on demonstrations to students at local high and grade schools. These activities typically take the form of optional after school classes for students, or interaction with school science clubs. Additionally, the ISS Tech Team has contacts with local Boy Scout groups through previous engagements, and the team plans on capitalizing on these opportunities for additional engagement opportunities. 5.4 Engineering Open House Another major opportunity for engagement is the College of Engineering s Open House on March 10th and 11th. As this is several days after the educational engagement deadline (FRR), the team will have completed the required engagement activities before this time. Nevertheless, the team still intends to participate in the Engineering Open House. This is a large event held every year attended by thousands of K-12 students and community members. Although not all of these attendees will be directly engaged by the ISS Tech Team, the Open House still provides an important opportunity to interact with the community and inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists. 65

71 6. PROJECT PLAN 6.1 Development Timeline Table 19: Project Milestones and Their Expected Completion Dates Milestone Proposal Selection Notification Illinois Space Day (ISD) Team Web Presence Established Preliminary Design Review (PDR) PDR Teleconference Subscale Test Flight Critical Design Review (CDR) CDR Teleconference Vehicle Construction Ejection Charge Testing Full Scale Test Flight Flight Readiness Review (FRR) FRR Teleconference Launch Readiness Review (LRR) Launch Post-Launch Assessment Review (PLAR) Completion Date September 30 th October 12 th October 15 th October 31 st October 31 st November 2 nd -18 th December 10 th January 13 th January 17 th -31 st February 18 th February 22 nd February 25 th March 6 th March 8 th -24 th April 5 th April 8 th April 24 th 6.2 Budget Table 20 below gives a detailed outline of the expected costs associated with the project. Items marked with a * are already owned by the team and will incur no expected costs. Items with parenthesis next to the name mark the quantity of that item needed for the project. Costs of items are rounded to their nearest dollar value due to fluctuations in price that will occur between this proposal and the purchase of these materials. In response, a margin will be added to the grand cost total to account for these fluctuations. Totals at the bottom will highlight the value of materials used and the expected cost of the project that will be covered by the funding plan covered in Section 6.3. Table 20: Project Expenses Item Total Cost [$] Use Structure: 6 x 48 G12 Tubing Fiberglass 415 Outer Airframe (2) ¼ Thick 24 Square Fiberglass 137 Fins Sheet (3) 3 x 48 G12 Fiberglass Tubing 92 Motor Mount Tube 75mm to 6 Centering Rings (3) 27 Centering Rings Epoxy and Resin* 69 Structural Joints 66

72 Item Total Cost [$] Use Aeropack Motor Retainer 54 Motor Retainer 16 Length Fiberglass Coupler for 6 Airframe Tubing (2) 170 Avionics and Payload Coupler Tubing 6 Coupler Bulkhead (4) 36 Bulkhead for Coupler Tubing 6 Airframe Bulkhead (4) 36 Bulkhead for Airframe Tubing Fiberglass Nosecone 105 Nosecone Nuts, Bolts, Washers, and 15 Connections Screws* 1515 Rail Button (2) 10 Launch Rail Connection Structures Total Value: 1,166 Structures Cost to Team: 1,082 Recovery Equipment Stratologger CF (2) * 110 Altimeter Telemetrum 2.0 (2) * 642 Altimeter/Tracker 9V Battery (2) 7.5 Battery for Stratologger 9V Battery Clip (2)* 2 Attach 9V Batteries to Sleds Telemetrum Li-Po Battery (2) * 22 Battery for Telemetrum SkyAngle Model C2 44 * 66 Parachute for Payload Section Iris Ultra 96 * 404 Main Parachute Fruity Chutes 18 Elliptical 53 Drogue Parachute 20 ft Tubular Kevlar (3) 61 Shock Cord for all Parachutes Jolly Logic* 130 Tether for Main Parachute Jolly Logic 130 Tether for Main Parachute Quick Links (4) * 10 Attachment Hardware Charge Cups (6)* 1 Black Powder Container Nylon Shear Pins* 5 Shear Pins ¼ Threaded Rods (6) 20 Mounts for Sleds 1/8 Plywood Sheet 12 Sleds for Mounting Equipment Right Angle Brackets* 5 Attach Sleds to Rods Terminal Blocks (4) 5 Connect Altimeters to Black Powder Charges Rotary Switches (4) 40 For Activating Altimeters on the Pad Recovery Equipment Total 1,725.5 Value: Recovery Equipment Cost to Team: Motor Equipment L1170FJ-P Reload Kit (2) 416 Motor Fuel Grain RMS 75/5120 Motor Casing 417 Motor Casing 75mm Forward Closure* 102 Closure for Motor Casing 67

73 Item Total Cost [$] Use 75mm Aft Closure* 80 Closure for Motor Casing Motor Equipment Total Value: 1,015 Motor Equipment Total Cost to Team: 833 Payload (Camera System) Raspberry Pi Zero (2) 10 Image Analysis Raspberry Pi Camera V2 (2) 50 Image Capture Raspberry Pi Zero Camera Cable 14 Image Analysis (2) LiPo 12V 500mAh Battery (2) 13 Power to Camera System Altimeter Module MS5607 (2) 60 Image Analysis Tool Acrylic Cutouts 30 Allows Cameras to See 3D Printed Camera Mounts* 5 Angle Cameras for Better FOV DC-DC Converter* 2 Use LiPo with Raspberry Pi Camera System Total Value: 184 Camera System Total Cost: 177 Payload (Landing System) Inner Leg Segment (4) 308 Inner Landing Legs Outer Leg Segment (4) 308 Outer Landing Legs Bulkhead Leg Hinge (4) 160 Connects Legs to Bulkhead Nuts, Bolts, Washers, and Screws 15 Connections Torsion Spring (-.552 in*lb.) (4) 5 Torsion Spring Torsion Spring (-4.5 in*lb.) (4) 4 Torsion Spring Landing System Total Value: 800 Landing System Total Cost to Team: 800 Miscellaneous Costs Subscale Vehicle 250 Educational Outreach 100 Travel Expenses 2,500 Total Misc. Costs to Team: 2,850 Margin: 500 Account for Price Fluctuations and Additional Parts Total Value of Project: 8,241 Total Cost to Team: 6,700 68

74 6.3 Funding Plan All funding will come through ISS; the organization this project is under. Funds will primarily come from five sources: EC, SORF, AE Department, corporate sponsors, and ISS. Engineering council is an umbrella organization for all engineering registered organization at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. EC provides funding for projects and conferences separately. The maximum funding allocated is $500 per category per quarter. ISS will request funding for Student Launch in the winter quarter for part orders through project funding and in the spring quarter for the trip through conference funding. EC accepts funding requests 4 times a year through an online form where the specific use of the funds is explained. ISS is confident that the full amount requested will be awarded from past experience. The Student Organization Resource Fee is a funding opportunity provided to all registered student organizations on campus. All students at the University of Illinois pays a small $5 fee included in their tuition. This fee goes directly to support student organization activities. SORF funding works by reimbursing up to half of part purchases and trip expenses with a maximum of $6,000 allocation to each organization. ISS will initially cover all the part purchases and trip expenses. The organization then will request funding for those expenses through SORF. The $2,000 estimate from SORF is based off of past Student Launch project estimates and a balanced use of the maximum allocation amount distribution among the other ISS expenses. Other funding sources for the Student Launch project include the aerospace engineering department at the University of Illinois, corporate sponsors, and ISS. The aerospace engineering department funds aerospace student organizations and ISS has requested funding for various projects. ISS has requested $1,500 from the department specifically designated for Student Launch part orders and travel expenses. ISS also receives funding from corporate sponsors for the competition and other societal activities. Corporate sponsorships will be pursued from aerospace industry companies and vendors from where the part orders come from. ISS will also contribute to provide funding for the Student Launch project. The organization has funds in its university student organization accounts from past sponsorships, donations, and funding sources to be able to provide funding. Because the funding amounts from the aerospace engineering department and corporate sponsors are less reliable sources, funds from ISS will back up and cover any additional expenses for the project. The budget for the Student Launch project will continuously be considered and updated as the project proceeds. ISS and the team will also continue to search for funding sources to assist in the parts and travel expenses of the project. Table 21: Funding Sources Funding Source Requested Amount Engineering Council Project $500 Engineering Council Conference $500 Student Organization Resource Fee $2,000 Aerospace Engineering Department $1,500 Corporate Sponsors $1,000 Illinois Space Society $1,250 Total $6,750 69

75 6.4 Project Sustainability Maintaining the viability of this project requires engagement between team members, the community, and sponsors. Working to cover all of these fronts ensures that the project will remain viable throughout the duration of the project and a final competition rocket will be produced Recruitment and Member Retention Recruitment of team members started in late August at the start of the semester and new members are welcomed to join throughout the duration of the project. Team members are recruited regardless of major, technical knowledge, or years of experience. Team positions are chosen by areas of interest rather than areas of expertise. While most team members are aerospace engineering majors, there are also several other engineering majors as well as nonengineering majors active in the ISS Student Launch team. Over three quarters of the team this year are new to this competition with most of those students also being new to this university. Experienced and new members work together on the same problems in the same groups. The knowledge of the more experienced students is shared, ensuring that even after the older students graduate, projects like these will continue for years to come. New members are given the same opportunities as returning members to impact the direction of the project. In order to address the knowledge gap between new and returning members, the Illinois Space Society hosts a series of tutorial sessions that cover the basics of high powered rocketry and the software needed throughout the duration of the project. This tutorial series ends with participating members building and launching their own medium powered rocket and members are asked to ensure their rocket satisfies many of the same requirements used for the Student Launch competition. In addition to giving new members the confidence to contribute to the project right away, these sessions allow for Student Launch meetings to focus on the design of the rocket rather than on addressing the knowledge gap, allowing for a more efficient work flow during this first part of the design cycle. In order to ensure the viability of the project in the event of member departure, the team is structured in such a way that there are always multiple members knowledgeable of each subsystem. This redundancy in knowledge insures that the project is never set back if a member decides to drop from the team or fails to attend for a period Industry and Community Partners The team has plans in place to solicit support from the community in the case that external services are required. The primary source for rocketry specific expertise is the Central Illinois Aerospace chapter of the NAR. This group provides access to launch fields as well as launch equipment. Additionally, members of the CIA are highly interested in ISS Tech Team projects due to involvement in past endeavors, and are available to provide guidance and constructive criticism to the team. The team also has access to a world class educational system with leading experts in aerodynamics, structures, composite materials, controls, and dynamics. When necessary the team will contact these educators to obtain relevant information regarding technical design issues. For industry sponsorship, the team intends to contact interested technological and industrial companies to support the cost of traveling to the launch. In the past the team has 70

76 partnered with technology based websites and aerospace companies to provide funding and support for the project. Additionally, the team intends to solicit industry support in acquiring certain materials. While seeking community support, the team will focus on discussing the merits of the project, both in terms of educational and real world research value Funding Sustainability Financially, the team is fortunate to be able to rely on the Illinois Space Society at large. Between combined society funds, corporate partnerships and project grants from The University of Illinois, the financial future of projects like these is in good hands. Successful completion of the project, professional presentation and proper documentation will highly increase the chance that the relationship of the Student Launch team with industry sponsors and these other sources of income will continue Educational Outreach Educational outreach serves as the key tool for engagement with the local community and sustaining interest in space and rocketry by engaging the next generation of engineers and enthusiasts. An overview of the team s educational outreach strategy for the next year can be found in Section 5 of this report. 71

77 APPENDIX A: Definitions Computer Aided Design: Computer software that allows the design, assembly, and annotation of rocket and payload components. Critical Design Review: A design review that shows that the design is ready for full-scale production and fabrication. Chlorofluorocarbons: Commonly used in aerosol cans until the 1980 s and were determined to be damaging to the ozone layer. Central Illinois Aerospace: A local rocketry club that assists the team with test launching the rockets. They also provide their expertise during the design and building phase of the competition. Final Design Review: A design review that proves the full-scale design is successful and ready for scoring. Illinois Space Society: The parent group of the team competing in the Student Launch competition. Liquid Propane Gas: The most common propellant used in spray paint cans, and is less harmful to the ozone than CFC s. National Association of Rocketry: Governs the use of high powered rocketry to ensure the safety of the participants, spectators, and the environment. Preliminary Design Review: A design review that shows a feasible concept that will be the subject of future work. Proposal: A response to NASA s Student Launch challenge that presents a coherent design and provides proof of its viability. Registered Student Organization: A student group recognized by the university of Illinois and eligible for funding from university sources. The Illinois Space Society is a registered student organization. 72

78 APPENDIX B: Acronyms AGL: Above Ground Level APCP: Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant CAD: Computer Aided Design CDR: Critical Design Review CFC: Chlorofluorocarbons CG: Center of Gravity CIA: Central Illinois Aerospace CP: Center of Pressure EIT: Electronics and Information Technology FAA: Federal Aviation Administration FN: Foreign National FRR: Flight Readiness Review HEO: Human Exploration and Operations ISS: Illinois Space Society LCO: Launch Control Officer LRR: Launch Readiness Review MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet MSFC: Marshall Space Flight Center NAR: National Association of Rocketry PDR: Preliminary Design Review PLAR: Post Launch Assessment Review PPE: Personal Protective Equipment RFP: Request for Proposal RSO: Range Safety Officer RSO: Register Student Organization SLI: Student Launch Initiative SME: Subject Matter Expert SOW: Statement of Work STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics TRA: Tripoli Rocketry Association 73

79 APPENDIX C: ISS Tech Team Safety Policy Illinois Space Society Tech Team Safety Policy All students are to sign and date the present document indicating that they read, understand, and will abide by the contained policy before they enter the Illinois Space Society (ISS). These requirements apply to day to day meetings, construction in and outside of the Engineering Student Projects Lab (ESPL), testing, and any additional meetings that may occur as part of ISS Tech Team activities. The signed forms are to be collected by the team safety officer, recorded, and submitted to the Technical Projects Manager. I. ESPL Rules: Required training to gain access to ESPL General Lab and Electrical Safety training through the U of I Division or Research Safety is mandatory for all individuals before they enter ESPL and participate in Design Council supported projects. Both interactive training modules are online and available at the following link: Upon completion of the training modules the students must print, sign, date each form and give to the designated safety officer who will keep record of their training and then give promptly to ESPL Laboratory Supervisor. It is also required that all students read the present document and sign and date it. Card access to ESPL will be granted after the ESPL Laboratory Supervisor has the General Lab and Electrical Safety training forms and the present document signed and dated on file. Required training to use any tools/equipment in ESPL Students must receive training from The ESPL Laboratory Supervisor and fill out the ESPL General Use Compliance Form and the ESPL Machine Shop use Compliance Form before they use any tool/equipment on the respective forms or any potentially dangerous tools/equipment. Tools shall not be brought into ESPL without the consent of the ESPL Laboratory Supervisor. Any potentially dangerous tools or equipment not listed on the forms should be added to the ESPL General Use Compliance Form list. Students may not work on equipment until the ESPL Laboratory Supervisor has signed and dated the pertinent compliance forms. A student must not use tools/equipment she/he was not trained for. Each student group must designate a safety officer. The name, , and cell phone number of the safety officer must be distributed to each team member. The safety officer must: Make sure that all individuals in the team are working in a safe manner and in compliance with the Design Council Safety Policy. They will keep up to date record of the signed Safety Policy forms for each team member Be familiar with the daily activities of the team Maintain a complete list of MSDS sheets for all potentially hazardous materials and their respective quantities All students must abide by the following ESPL General Use Rules: 1. A Laboratory Supervisor will oversee the Engineering Student Project Laboratory, including the Machine Shop. 2. Students may not operate any power tool unless there is somebody else in the same work area of the laboratory or shop. 3. Each student must wear safety glasses with side shield at all times while in any of the ESPL work areas. 4. Hearing protection is required by anyone near loud equipment. 74

80 5. When in the work areas one must wear appropriate clothing: closed toed shoes, pants, no loose clothing, jewelry, or hair is allowed that can potentially be caught in equipment. Do not wear ties, rings, or watches. 6. Students must not lift heavy objects without the aid of an appropriate lifting device and hold heavy objects in place using appropriate equipment such as jack stands. 7. When using power tools to cut materials, all parts must be properly clamped in a vise or clamped to a table. Never hold a piece by hand when attempting to cut or drill it. 8. Never leave any tool or equipment running unattended. This includes electronic equipment, soldering irons, etc. When you finish using anything, turn it off. 9. People welding or assisting in welding operations must wear welding masks or yellow tinted safety glasses. You may only watch the welding process if you are wearing a mask. Students who are welding or using grinders must use appropriate shields to protect others. 10. Compressed gases used for welding or other purposes pose several hazards. Users of compressed gases must read and follow the recommendations of Compressed Gas Safety available at Shop doors must not be propped open. 12. Waste chemicals must be properly discarded, See the Laboratory Supervisor. 13. Store potentially hazardous liquids, chemicals and materials in appropriate containers and cabinets 14. Students are responsible for the order and cleanness of their work space and benches according to the rule: If you make a mess, clean it up. The same rule will apply to the common areas of the laboratory including the designated dirty space, paint booth, and welding areas. 15. Work in a clean, uncluttered environment with appropriate amounts of work space and check tools and workspace for problems/hazards before working with them. 16. Know the location of all fire extinguishers, emergency showers, eye rinse stations, and first aid kits. 17. If you fill the garbage can, empty it in the dumpster outside. 18. The Laboratory Supervisor will decide how to proceed in the case of any situations not covered by the preceding rules. ESPL Machine Shop Rules (for all students using the ESPL Machine Shop): 1. Any user of the ESPL Machine Shop must read, understand, and abide by the ESPL General Use Rules. 2. The Laboratory Supervisor controls card access to the ESPL Machine Shop. No student can use any machine tool until he/she has demonstrated competence on that machine to the Laboratory Supervisor. 3. No student may enter or remain in the Machine Tool Workshop unless accompanied by the Laboratory Supervisor or a student who is authorized to use the Shop. The authorized user is responsible for the visitor while he/she remains on the Shop. 4. Students may not operate any machine tool unless there is somebody else in the Machine Tool Workshop. 5. Each student must wear safety glasses at all times. 6. When operating machine tools, long hair, long sleeves, or baggy clothing must be pulled back. Do not wear gloves, ties, rings, or watches in the ESPL Machine Shop. 7. When using power tools to cut materials, all parts must be properly clamped in a vise or clamped to a table. Never hold a piece by hand when attempting to cut or drill it. 8. Be aware of what is going on around you. 75

81 9. Concentrate on what you're doing. If you get tired while you're working, leave the work until you're able to fully concentrate don't rush. If you catch yourself rushing, slow down. 10. Don't rush speeds and feeds. You'll end up damaging your part, the tools, and maybe the machine itself. 11. Listen to the machine, if something doesn't sound right, turn the machine off. 12. Don't let someone else talk you into doing something dangerous. 13. Don't attempt to measure a part that's moving. 14. Before you start a machine: a. Study the machine. Know which parts move, which are stationary, and which are sharp. b. Double check that your workpiece is securely held. c. Remove chuck keys and wrenches. 15. If you don't know how to do something, ask someone who does. 16. Clean up all messes made during construction a. A dirty machine is unsafe and difficult to operate properly. b. Vacuum or sweep debris from the machine. c. Do not use compressed air. 17. Do not leave machines running unattended. 18. The Laboratory Supervisor will decide how to proceed in the case of any situations not covered by the preceding rules. 76

82 APPENDIX D: Education Feedback Form Illinois Space Society Student Launch Educational Feedback Form How interesting was the demonstration? (1 Boring, 10 Extremely Interesting) How much did you learn from this demonstration? (1 Nothing, 10 A Lot) How interesting was the presentation? (1 Boring, 10 Extremely Interesting) How much did you learn from this presentation? (1 Nothing, 10 A Lot) What did you enjoy from your time with us? What was your least favorite part of your time with us? 77