Ad Astra Per Icarus
Vehicle Airframes & Structures
Lead: Anand Biradar
The Vehicle Airframe and Structures team is responsible for the manufacturing of the rocket. The group must properly devise methods to secure the fins, motor, recovery system, avionics, and other payloads. The group is responsible for the overall structural integrity of the rocket.
Flight Dynamics
Lead: Peter Nguyen
The Flight Dynamics team is responsible for overseeing the design of the rocket in such a fashion that it is both statically and dynamically stable. This group calculates a theoretical prediction of the rocket's flight profile. When designing the rocket, they must ensure that (1) the weight distribution of the rocket does not cause instability, and (2) drag is minimized, without sacrificing stability, structural integrity, the function of the recovery system, or the function of the payload.
Propulsion
Lead: Kimberly Emig
The Propulsion team is responsible for choosing and assembling the most efficient rocket motor to launch the rocket given specific altitude goals. The group is responsible for launch operaions of the motor. Finally, the group will conduct motor tests throughout the design process, for research purposes and to verify the motor's certified thrust curve data.
Engineering Teams
Recovery
Lead: Prasanna Ghadage
The Recovery team is responsible for devising the appropriate recovery system to ensure the rocket is returned to earth at a safe velocity. Using the dimensions and weight specifications of the rocket, this team will determine the appropriate parachute size to ensure a safe descent rate as well as the amount of black powder necessary to provide successful parachute deployment. This team will manufacture the ejection charges and will conduct ground tests verifying that the amount of black powder used is sufficient to overcome the friction fit of the components or to break any shear pins (if used). On launch day, this team is also responsible for packing the drogue and main parachutes as well as working with the electronics team to hook up the charges to the avionics bay. The success of the rocket depends on the extensive testing and redundancy developed by the recovery team. Finally, the team is also responsible leading the ground-team efforts to locate and recover the rocket post-landing.
Electronics & Payload
Lead: David Nelson
The Electronics and Payload team is responsible for equipping the rocket and payload with flight electronics as necessary for the project requirements potentially including but not limited to an altimeter, GPS transponder, and/or flight computer. The altimeter records the absolute altitude of the rocket over the duration of flight. The GPS system will send real time position data of the rocket to assist in recovery. The flight computer deploys the recovery system by sending current to ejection charges at the desired altitudes, so that the drogue and main parachute can be deployed. The recovery system will be a joint effort between this group, Recovery group, and the structures groups.