Illinois Space Society Student Launch 2015-2016

Maxi-MAV Proposal September 11, 2015

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Illinois Space Society 104 S. Wright Street

Room 321D Urbana, Illinois 61801

Contents 1. Team Composition .................................................................................................................. 3

Major Sub-team 1: Structures and Recovery .............................................................................. 3

Major Sub-team 2: AGSE ........................................................................................................... 3

Minor Sub-teams ......................................................................................................................... 3

NAR Section: .............................................................................................................................. 4

2. Facilities/Equipment ................................................................................................................... 4

3. Safety .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Safety Plan .................................................................................................................................. 5

Risk Mitigation ........................................................................................................................... 5

NAR Personnel Duties ................................................................................................................ 7

Hazard Recognition .................................................................................................................... 7

Law Compliance ......................................................................................................................... 8

Motor and Energetic Device Handling ....................................................................................... 8

4. Structures and Recovery ............................................................................................................. 9

Vehicle Description & Dimensions ............................................................................................ 9

Material Selection ..................................................................................................................... 12

Construction Methods ............................................................................................................... 12

Projected Altitude ..................................................................................................................... 14

Parachute System Design .......................................................................................................... 14

Motor Brand and Designation ................................................................................................... 17

Hatch and Payload Canister ...................................................................................................... 18

5. Autonomous Ground Support Equipment ................................................................................ 19

AGSE Overview ....................................................................................................................... 19

AGSE Mass Statement .............................................................................................................. 20

Sample Retrieval System .......................................................................................................... 21

Lifting System ........................................................................................................................... 23

Igniter Insertion System ............................................................................................................ 25

Electronics................................................................................................................................. 27

6. Requirements and Solutions ..................................................................................................... 29

AGSE Requirements: ................................................................................................................ 29

Challenges and Solutions: ......................................................................................................... 30

7. Educational Engagement .......................................................................................................... 32

8. Project Plan ............................................................................................................................... 33

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Budget ....................................................................................................................................... 34

Funding Plan ............................................................................................................................. 34

Community Support .................................................................................................................. 36

Sustainability............................................................................................................................. 36

Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 38

Appendix B ................................................................................................................................... 41

Appendix C ................................................................................................................................... 42

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1. Team Composition Team Leader Ian Charter, Project Manager Phone: (815) 278-1294 Email: icharte2@illinois.edu Safety Officer Andrew Koehler Managers Project Manager: Ian Safety Officer: Andrew Structures and Recovery Manager: Stephen AGSE Manager: Ben Webmaster: Lui Educational Outreach Director: Chris Major Sub-team 1: Structures and Recovery

The first main sub-team of about 15 students is the Structures and Recovery Team. This team will be responsible for the design and construction of the vehicle, including systems for parachute deployment and sample containment. The Structures and Recovery manager is Stephen. Brian, Alli, Andrew, and Matt are key technical members for the Structures and Recovery teams. Specifically, Brian is responsible for the design of the vehicle, and Andrew is responsible for construction procedures. Alli is charged with management of the recovery systems, and Matt is in charge of the sample canister and hatch systems.

Major Sub-team 2: AGSE The second major sub-team is the Autonomous Ground Support Equipment (ASGE)

Team. This team will be responsible for the design and construction of a robotic system to contain the sample within the vehicle, as well as systems to erect the rocket from the horizontal position and install the motor igniter. Ben is the AGSE manager. Brandon, Lui, and Alex are key technical personnel for the AGSE systems. Ben is responsible for the compatibility between AGSE components, and Brandon is in charge of the sample retrieval system. Lui is charged with managing the ignition system, and Alex is in charge of the lifting system.

Minor Sub-teams Minor sub-teams of 5 to 10 students will be responsible for web design, safety planning,

and educational outreach. Each student on these sub-teams is also a member of either the AGSE or Structures and Recovery sub-teams. Lui will manage the web design and safety sub-team, and Ian will manage the educational outreach activities.

In general, sub-team managers are charged with organizing their respective teams, planning necessary meetings, and overseeing progress on technical designs. That said, every team member including managers will play a role in the technical design of their assigned systems. Although key technical members are listed for the major sub-teams, whenever possible technical work will be divided equally between all team members. 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.

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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. The CIA organizes bi-weekly launches at several locations close to the university, depending on the time of year and launch field conditions.

2. Facilities/Equipment To assist with completion of the project, the ISS Technical Projects Team can utilize

multiple university facilities. Several student project workshops are permanently accessible to the team. These workshops are available at any time, seven days a week, and thus the majority of construction will take place in these rooms. The workshops also have basic hand and power tools including electric drills, Dremel tools, and a sander. The team also has access to an office to securely store all of the equipment. Stored in this office is also supplies acquired by the team throughout past instances of this project. This includes launch equipment, avionics hardware, recovery components, Proline 4100, and quick links. For security purposes, both the office and the student workshops are locked whenever not in use. This should ensure secure storage of all team equipment and materials. Finally, students are required to complete general safety courses and sign safety agreements before being granted access to the laboratories. The team’s Safety Officer will also brief team members on safe construction procedures.

As a leading research university, the University of Illinois also has a significant number of state-of-the-art facilities and knowledgeable personnel available during standard working hours. These facilities include composite materials laboratories, 3-D printing facilities, a fabrication laboratory with laser cutting machinery, machine shops, and material testing facilities. Students working in these facilities may utilize the guidance of working professionals or work independently.

Students also have access to modern computer equipment and software provided by the University’s Engineering Workstations Laboratories located in numerous buildings throughout the campus. These computer systems allow access to several engineering software packages. Most importantly, students are able to access Matlab, Mathematica, Fluid Dynamics Software, Logic Gate Simulations, and Computer Aided Design (CAD) software such as Creo, Solidworks and NX. These systems are accessible by all team members at all times.

Web hosting for this project is provided by the College of Engineering through the Illinois Space Society website. This website may be updated either through Engineering Workstation computers or personal computers. The website will comply with Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards.

The team also has access to conference rooms in the Department of Aerospace Engineering that may be used for presentations, meetings, and phone conferences. These conference rooms are equipped with reliable high speed internet and telephones with conference call capabilities. Video equipment such as webcams are also available for the team to use during teleconferences and presentations.

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3. Safety Safety Plan

The safety officer this year will be Andrew. He is a sophomore in aerospace engineering with past experience working with rockets. The safety officer will guarantee that each member of the group is knowledgeable and informed on the risks inherent to their respective sub-teams. Every member in the structures and recovery team and the AGSE team will complete essential lab safety training and will be aware of the dangers of handling and disposing of hazardous materials. As such, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be provided for those working with these dangerous components and materials. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will also be required and provided to all team members working under any sort of risk, mainly those operating machinery or handling lab substances. The safety officer will supervise all aspects of construction and ensure that all involved are implementing the proper safety procedures. The Engineering Student Project Lab (ESPL) will handle larger machinery that the Student Launch team members do not have qualifications for so that members do not handle equipment above their training or experience level. In the event that the safety officer or the team mentor cannot supervise a potentially dangerous situation, the project manager, team leader, or more experienced individuals in the group are able to supervise and step in.

The team mentor this year will be Mark Joseph (NAR 76446 Level 2), and he has flown over 15 flights under this certification. Mark has been the Team Mentor for this University’s Student Launch team in 2011-2012, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 so he is experienced with the team as well as with high powered rocketry competitions.

Before each test and launch of the rocket, all active and involved members will be briefed and instructed on precautionary measures to remind them of the potential hazards with the launch and recovery of a high powered rocket. The team will coordinate with the local RSO (Range Safety Officer) and the team mentor to schedule the test launches during the course of the year. A safety code has been attached to the bottom of this document which will be read to all team members by the safety officer and understood by all before any construction of the rocket occurs.

Risk Mitigation Table 3-1: Risk Mitigation Matrix

Risk Probability Impact Mitigation

Hazardous Materials

Low to moderate

Harmful injuries to the body, including but not limited to: burns, rashes, scars, and other potentially permanent damages.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be provided to all team members handling hazardous materials. The team mentor will work with the safety officer to ensure all team members are briefed before handling any hazardous materials so all members are aware of the risks and how to handle and curtail them. The safety officer and mentor will also supervise all use of these materials.

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Tools and Machinery

Low to Moderate

Heavy bodily injury, possible irreparable damage.

Each team member will be required to take a general lab safety course, and team members using tools they are inexperienced with will be trained under the supervision of the safety officer and/or more experienced members.

Black Powder Moderate Possible light to heavy bodily injury, including skin burns.

The black powder will only be used by the team mentor and any other person with the certification to handle such hazardous material.

Electrical Hazards, such as electric shock, short-circuiting

Low to Moderate

Possible bodily burns, or electrical shock, possible damage to electrical components of the rocket and AGSE.

Make sure every team member working with electrical components, such as circuit boards/power cords, know the necessary grounding procedures and safety precautions associated with these hazards.

Battery Danger (Lithium-Ion)

Low Possible bodily burns, and scars. Also damage to the battery like acid leaks or fire.

The safety officer will make sure all batteries used are deemed safe and not too powerful to cause damage to any part of the AGSE or rocket vehicle. Also the safety officer will ensure every member working with the batteries know the risks, and the things to do in the event of a catastrophe.

Testing Dangers Low to Moderate

Potential bodily injury, including burns and fractures, as well as damage to the rocket

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. Testing of the AGSE will be supervised by the safety officer and experienced members that have worked with AGSE equipment before.

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Launch Dangers Moderate Potential bodily harm as well as damage to the rocket, payload, AGSE equipment or other the surrounding environment.

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. The launches will take place at locations that have standing FAA waivers. All team members will be familiarized with the NAR safety code and will have signed safety agreements. The team mentor will be present to ensure safety and proper motor handling. Safety and flight readiness checklists will be created and followed in order to reduce risk.

Rocket Motor (Ammonium Perchlorate)

Moderate Possible adverse effects of the motor chemicals.

All handling of the motor will be conducted by the team mentor, and precautionary measures will be taken whenever the rocket motor will be in use.

Environmental Safety

Low Damages to the launch site or to the landing site

The safety officer will work with the team mentor and any other experienced member of the team to ensure that the launch site is in safe condition for a launch and that no pieces of the rocket will become disconnected from the rest of the rocket.

NAR Personnel Duties The team’s NAR mentor will be responsible for the acquisition of FAA permits for

airspace. The permits will provide assurance of clear skies at the launch and ensure that there will be no impact on commercial aviation. In addition, they’ll ensure the group’s compliance with the NAR safety code, which has been attached in Appendix C. The team mentor will be in charge of handling all dangerous materials. This is included, but not limited to, motor handling, construction, transportation, and work with ejection charges and black powder. The mentor will also be informed of design decisions and construction work by the team and given the opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions to team members for safety purposes.

Hazard Recognition Before any post-design construction or manufacturing commences on the project, the

safety officer will provide a presentation on accident avoidance strategies and recognizing the

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dangers involved with both the Structures and Recovery and AGSE teams. The safety officer, team mentor, and experienced members will also give a presentation on the proper use of the tools and facilities that will be in use over the course of the project.

The presentation will discuss the various risks that can be encountered while working that are described above in the Risk Mitigation section. For example, AGSE team members, before working with any electronics, will be briefed on the process of identifying an improper grounding of a power source or an incorrectly wired system. The Structures and Recovery team would also receive a briefing on structural dangers that may involve the improper handling of heavy metal parts or equipment. The emphasis of this presentation will be on recognizing when a certain hazard can be handled by the members if they are knowledgeable, by the team mentor or safety officer, or if the situation must be brought to the attention of a higher official. Their safety knowledge will be greatly enhanced and practiced through machine and lab training conducted by the most knowledgeable members of the team, including the safety officer and team mentor if needed. Briefings will be conducted by the safety officer and team mentor before every test flight, covering the present risks and hazards involved with launching a large, high-powered rocket. This will be similar to the presentation covering general hazards of working with machinery and equipment or electronics, but the pre-flight briefing will involve rocket launch specifics. A general lesson of mindfulness will be emphasized, so that if any team member is ever unsure of what to do in a potentially dangerous situation, they will take necessary precautions and alert the team leader or a higher official if needed.

Law Compliance 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. 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 storage will take place. The team mentor 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.

Motor and Energetic Device Handling All handling of the motor and other energetic devices will be handled by the team

mentor, Mark Joseph, who has NAR level 2 clearance. Mark will also transport and store the motors for all the team’s launches and tests. For insurance purposes, Mark will also be the sole owner of the motor because he is the only one legally allowed to operate the motor and take on liability issues.

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4. Structures and Recovery

The overall design of the vehicle was based on several parameters. First and foremost was the criteria of recovery and reusability. Each part of the rocket has to be robust enough to undergo multiple launches without failing structurally. This turned strength into a major concern when making design considerations. In addition, the vehicle had to be designed to reach the target altitude of 1 mile (5280ft), a requirement which determined the motor necessary to power the rocket. Finally, the vehicle design could only include a maximum of four independent sections. The structures and recovery team will adapt previous successful designs to this competition, adjusting them to both fit the targeted height requirements, and make the rocket easier to construct and work with. The overreaching goal is to build on the team’s prior experience in rocket design.

For the purpose of obtaining hands on, engineering work experience, it was the team’s decision to design, build, and implement a rocket from custom selected materials and components. A rocket kit will not be purchased to compete in this competition. The team has been and will continue to follow the concurrent engineering design process of: defining the task, doing background research, specifying requirements, brainstorming solutions, selecting the best solution, selecting an approach for implementation, building a prototype and finally, refining the original design. Several weekly meetings have been and will continue to be carried out to sustain group communication and avoid the malpractice of “over-the-wall” engineering. Throughout the early stages of this process, the team has defined and established several engineering parameters such as the selection of materials, vehicle dimensions, motor brand and designation, vehicle requirements and recovery systems, parachute system design, and construction methods.

Vehicle Description & Dimensions The main vehicle constructed for this project will be a single stage, high powered rocket

utilizing a dual deploy recovery system. The current design has a total length of 107 inches and weighs a total of 34.69 pounds with the motor included. An initial model of the vehicle is given below in Figure 4-1.

Figure 4-1: Model of the Rocket Constructed with the OpenRocket Software Package

The basic profile of the vehicle is standard for a high powered model and includes three independent sections. Starting from the bottom, the first major section of the rocket is the booster. The booster will be constructed with 4 feet of 6 inch diameter airframe tubing (Blue Tube). Attached to the bottom of the booster are three fins, equally spaced 120 degrees radially. The fins themselves will be trapezoidal in shape, a tested design that has proven success in the

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past. A software program called OpenRocket was used to find appropriate dimensions for the fins that give the team an optimal center of pressure and stability. Going inwards there is a motor mount tube (also constructed of Blue Tube) is attached to the body via three centering rings (made up of aircraft plywood). The motor retainer will attach to the bottom most ring and will be nearly flush with the back of the rocket. The retainer prevents the motor from falling out of the rocket during flight. Moving further in there is a motor case attached to the motor mount tube. The combination of a motor mount tube and motor case will center the motor and keep the thrust pointing directly downwards. The drogue parachute will be stored above the motor, with an attachment point via an eyebolt on the top of the motor case.

Inserted into the top of the booster airframe is the coupler, which will house the hatch subsystem as well as the avionics/altimeters required for flight. The hatch subsystem is gone over in depth in a later section. The coupler will be capped by solid aircraft plywood bulkheads and provide an enclosed environment for the altimeters to function. Eyebolts will be attached to each end of the coupler to provide attachment points for the parachutes, and ejection charges will sit on the outside of the bulkheads. The sled for the hatch as well as the plywood board that will have the altimeters attached to it will be placed onto threaded aluminum rods that connect the two bulkheads. This will prevent these systems from moving around once installed. The altimeters will be activated via rotary switches mounted onto the exterior of the airframe. The team is tentatively planning to use two Stratologger altimeters, which will each control ejection charges for the main and drogue parachutes. This use of a primary and secondary altimeter ensures redundancy in the parachute system, and the team has had success using Stratologgers in the past. The electrical configuration for the altimeters is shown below in Figure 4-2. The altimeters’ ability to fulfill their task is vital for vehicle safety, and so a proven system will be employed to minimize risk. Above the coupler is the upper airframe tube. This tube will house the main parachute, which will deploy at an altitude that maximizes safety and minimizes drift. This altitude is expected to be around 500 feet, although further analysis will determine the final value. Just under the nose cone will be another plywood bulkhead with an eyebolt, designed to provide a secure upper attachment point for the main parachute. Finally, inserted into the top of this upper airframe tube will be a 21 inch long nose cone, used to improve aerodynamics.

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Figure 4-2: Electrical schematic of the Stratologgers

The mass values for the current rocket design can be seen in Table 4-1. The individual masses came from the OpenRocket simulation.

Table 4-1: Mass statement based on OpenRocket simulation

Vehicle Component Estimated Mass [oz] Nose Cone 28.2

Upper Airframe Tube w/ Bulkhead 27.7 Main Parachute and Shock Cord 11.297

Ballast Weight Beneath Nosecone 48 Coupler w/ Bulkheads 34.05

Avionics, Sample Box, and Hatch 32 Booster Tube 36.2

Drogue Parachute and Shock Cord 2.369 3 Centering Rings 4.2 Motor Mount Tube 12.8

Motor Case and Motor Retainer 48 Active Drag System Components 32

3 Trapezoidal Fins 60.3 Aerotech L850W Motor 131.9952

Epoxy and Miscellaneous Hardware 48 TOTAL 557 oz = 34.81 lb

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Material Selection In designing the rocket itself, team members researched various materials for

construction of the main body and fins. Initially, aircraft plywood and balsa wood were considered as possible materials for the fins while Blue Tube, carbon fiber, and fiberglass were evaluated for possible use in the main body. Each material was later assessed in light of its respective advantages and disadvantages as seen in the table below. 5 represents the best possible score in a category, while 1 represents the poorest possible score in a category.

Table 4-2: Material Trade Study

Material Strength Cost Ease of Use Safety

Aircraft plywood 3 2 3 4

Balsa wood 1 5 5 4

Blue Tube 4 4 4 4

Carbon fiber 5 1 2 3

Fiberglass 4 3 2 2

Team members first decided on a material for the main body of the rocket. Blue Tube

was ultimately chosen because it was the most reasonable choice based on strength, cost, ease of use, and safety. For example, the added strength of carbon fiber was unnecessary and did not justify its cost. The heat capacity of blue tube is sufficient to protect against the heat output of the motor, it poses fewer safety concerns when it is being cut, and is easier to work with than carbon fiber. These benefits, combined with its high strength and affordability, led Blue Tube to emerge as the chosen material for the main body. During last year’s Student Launch competition, the team decided to use Blue Tube and it was a great success. There were no problems with Blue Tube and it proved to be a durable, inexpensive, and reliable material.

Focus then shifted to deciding between fiberglass and aircraft plywood for the fins. Team members decided that the material would have to be moderately strong and relatively easy to work with, especially because fins require extensive shaping and sanding before being attached to the rocket. Aircraft plywood is low cost and easy to work with, but is not as strong as fiberglass. Though pricier than and not as easy to shape as aircraft plywood, fiberglass is much stronger and last years’ team had success with fiberglass fins. This previous design gave the team valuable experience with fiberglass fabrication, including necessary safety measures. The team has access to a lab that was used previously to manufacture the fiberglass sheets and then cut out the shape of the fins. Ultimately, the extra strength and reliability led the team to choose fiberglass as the fin material. The team plans on contacting the lab again this year to arrange for custom-cut fiberglass fins.

Construction Methods The manufacturing and construction of the vehicle will be done in stages throughout the school year after designs have been finalized. The team will use safety equipment whenever it is required. Gloves, safety glasses, and earplugs will be available to team members throughout the

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build process. Build instructions will be clearly communicated with all team members at the start of every session. All work during build sessions will be documented in order to ensure all parts of the flight vehicle were built safely and to the right specification. The proposed construction techniques are subject to change as needed.

The team will have access to an assortment of tools that can be used to construct the vehicle. They will have access to basic supplies such as, pens and pencils, tape, sandpaper, mixing sticks for epoxy, rulers, tape measures, levels, and knifes. The team also will be able to use power tools such as drills with bits, Dremels, a palm sander, a laser cutter, 3D printer, and a scroll saw. Epoxy will be used as the primary bonding agent.

Before construction begins, parts will be labeled, cleaned, and weighed. General construction procedures include marking all hole locations clearly, double checking hole locations. Any surfaces that have epoxy on them will be sanded and then cleaned with rubbing alcohol. The projected plan is to start with the construction of the motor mount. While constructing the motor mount tube and centering rings, several things will be accounted for.

Three center rings will be used for additional support and ease of alignment, and motor retention will be ensured by a screw-on motor retainer bolted and epoxied to the bottom centering ring. The location of the center rings will be marked on the motor mount and body tube in three different locations: the top ring slightly below the motor mount tube, the middle ring to be aligned with the top of the fins, and the bottom ring to align the retainer with the bottom of the rocket.

Rail button positions will be marked on the airframe. The rail buttons will be attached before the motor mount is fixed inside of the rocket. T-nut interfaces will be created on the inside of the rocket.

The motor mount will be inserted into its marked location in the booster airframe at a later time. The inside of the booster airframe and the fin slots will be sanded. Epoxy will be applied to the top of the center rings. For the bottom center rings, epoxy will be applied through a hole for the top ring and through a fin slot for the middle ring.

The avionics bay will be assembled through many subparts. The bulkheads will have threaded rod rails, eyebolts for parachutes, charge cups and terminal blocks. A switch band will be created and attached next. Finally, a sled will be created by marking out electronics, attachment placement, and then attaching tubing to the bottom for the rail guides.

The fins will be made out of fiberglass. The team will have sheets of fiberglass made into the trapezoidal shape of the fins. The flight vehicle will be constructed with through-the-wall fins. These must be able to fit between the middle and bottom center rings. A sufficient amount of epoxy will be applied between the fins and the body tube for support. Internal fillets for the fins will be used since the fins must be fit tight to the motor mount tube and the center rings must fit snug to the top and bottom of the fins. Fin alignment will be ensured through the use of a fin guide.

A CAD model of the hatch system will be made before construction to ensure all components fit in the flight vehicle and that all components align properly. The hole for the hatch will be cut. The payload bay will be 3D printed and then fixed on the threaded rails in the rocket. The section of blue tube that was cut out to make the hole for the payload will be used as the hatch door. The hinge will be attached to the hatch door and the vehicle using epoxy. The magnets used to keep the hatch door closed will also be fixed in place using epoxy.

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Finishing the build process will include priming and painting with the possible application of decals. Pressure relief holes in the airframe sections will be determined and drilled to allow pressure equalization during flight.

Projected Altitude Calculations were simulated using the OpenRocket software which predicted a projected

altitude of 5,486ft, a little over 200ft higher than the competition requirement of 5,280ft. The altitude will eventually be calculated by hand to verify the accuracy of the OpenRocket simulations, and give the team a hands on experience. Additional modifications will be made to the rocket after modeling the critical components, including the mass, in order to reach the target altitude. As of now, the team’s plan is to add ballast weight in the main parachute bay between the nose cone and the bulkhead for the main parachute attachment point. The team is also looking into making an active drag system in order to reach the target altitude. This system would consist of three doors located in between the fins that deploy near apogee to modify the current apogee. After further experimentation with the rocket mechanisms, the rocket will achieve close to the required altitude.

Parachute System Design A full multi-parachute system has been designated to recover the team’s flight vehicle.

Instability of the flight vehicle is associated with a high risk of damage to bystanders and property below. The parachutes that the team will utilize for the rocket will be sized to ensure enough drag so that no part of the rocket will impact the ground with a kinetic energy greater than 75 ft-lbf. Initial parachute sizing will be determined through computer modeling of the rocket which includes simulations of the descent rate after parachute deployment and the drift of the rocket. In addition to computational modeling, the team will calculate, by hand, the desired area of the parachute with commonly used model rocketry equations, taking into account the mass of the section landing and the desired descent speed. Following testing of each parachute, the team will adjust the sizing if needed to stay within the requirements of the mission, most importantly the kinetic energy requirement described above.

To conserve resources, the team is considering the use of parachutes used previously in a similarly sized rocket if their use allows the rocket to fit within the requirements of the recovery system. Due to previous projects with similar vehicles, the ISS team has a small inventory of appropriately sized parachutes. For the main parachute, the preliminary plan is to use a 96” Iris Ultra manufactured by Fruity Chutes, although simulations will need to be performed to ensure this parachute provides the desired descent rate. The SkyAngle 36” parachute has been used very effectively as a drogue parachute by previous Student Launch teams so the team plans on researching the feasibility of using the SkyAngle again. These are high quality commercial parachutes constructed of materials that are simultaneously lightweight and durable. Benefits of using these parachutes include that they have been tested and that members of the team are already familiar with them. As stated previously though, the team plans to run additional calculations to confirm the viability of reusing the Iris Ultra and SkyAngle parachutes. If an adequately low descent rate cannot be achieved, larger parachutes will be chosen. The launch vehicle can be seen in Figure 4-3.

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The drogue parachute will be stored in the booster section above the motor and below the main avionics bay, which will control the drogue and main parachutes that can be seen in Figure 4-4. The avionics will trigger black powder ejection charges that are located on the top and bottom of the coupler. At apogee, altimeters in the payload bay will send signals igniting black powder ejection charges on the bottom of the coupler. The drogue parachute will then deploy, attached to the bottom coupler bulkhead and motor case via Kevlar shock cords. Forged steel eye bolts will be secured to both attachment points and steel quick links will be used to attach the shock cord to the eyebolts. This is a system commonly used by the ISS Tech Team, and it has been determined through numerous launches and flight tests that the steel and Kevlar components have the necessary strength to withstand the loads of ejection.

Figure 4-3: Model of the rocket before any parachutes have been deployed

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The main parachute will be stored under the nose cone and operate similarly to the drogue parachute. It will be attached to a bulkhead at the bottom of the nose cone and the upper bulkhead of the coupler containing the sample and avionics as seen in Figure 4-5. The main parachute will be deployed by ejection charges at a tentative altitude of 500 feet above ground level during descent.

Figure 4-5: Model of the rocket after both the drogue and main parachutes have deployed

Figure 4-4: Model of the rocket after the drogue has deployed

Removable shear pins will be used to connect all portions of the vehicle where separation

is desired. The number, size, and spacing of shear pins will be determined through testing and calculations during the charge testing phase of construction and verification. Additionally, a radio frequency transmitter will be attached to the main parachute shock cord in order to track the location of the vehicle.

Motor Brand and Designation The initial motor selected for this vehicle is the Aerotech L850W. Several factors contributed to the selection of an Aerotech motor. Aerotech is a highly regarded motor manufacturer whose products are often utilized in high power rocketry. Additionally, Aerotech motors are readily available and numerous in variety. Due to previous dealings with Aerotech during past projects, the ISS Student Launch Team has acquired experience with Aerotech products and hardware compatible with these motors. The ISS Student Launch Team has also had successful trials with Aerotech motors.

With the assistance of ThrustCurve.org, the ISS Student Launch Team was able to determine that the Aerotech L850W motor has a length of 20.9 inches and a diameter of 2.95 inches. The total weight of the motor is 8.250 pounds, with 4.619 pounds coming from the propellant. The average thrust of the motor is 191.1 pounds, with the max thrust being 419.5 pounds. The recorded impulse of the motor is 819.6 pounds seconds. Figure 4-6 below is a chart from ThrustCurve.org showing the amount of thrust being created by the motor in the first five seconds after ignition.

Figure 4-6: Thrust curve chart for the AeroTech L850 motor

The specific motor model was selected in order to launch the vehicle to at least the targeted altitude of 5,280 feet above ground level with the current mass estimate. After modeling the critical components of the rocket, motor simulations were undertaken in an iterative manner.

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Several motors were simulated in an attempt to select the proper choice for the vehicle’s altitude target.

Hatch and Payload Canister The hatch door will be connected to the rocket by a hinge on the top side of the hatch,

which will be located on the side of the door closest to the top of the rocket. It will be held shut by a set of magnets that will be on the bottom of the door, and which will connect to magnets on the inside of the payload sled. The hatch will be left open during the insertion of the payload into the payload canister, opened past 90 degrees such that the door will not accidentally close if disturbed. The coupler with the payload canister can be seen in Figure 4-7.

The hatch door will be closed using a servo system which will pull a string connected to the door to pull it closed once the payload is secured in the payload by. The string will start the door moving, and get it to the point where the door will close on its own due to gravity. Magnets will automatically seal the door shut.

The hatch door will be a section of body tube/switchband cut from the rocket itself (not pictured), ensuring a tight and sealed fit when closed. A hinge will connect this door to the short side of the cutout to give the door a pivot to rotate on and to ensure a sealed fit.

The payload sled will be longer than the door, such that the payload can rest in the payload sled below the level of the door while the rocket is vertical, as shown in Figure 4-8. The hatch door will also be constructed such that the gripper on the robotic arm will fit into the rocket so that the AGSE system can set the payload into the payload bay without needing to drop it. The sample will be secured into the rocket by using 3D printed clips to hold it in place. This will ensure that the payload will not come out of the rocket if the door were to come loose, in addition to gravity holding the door shut.

Figure 4-7: Model of the payload bay for containment of the sample inside the coupler

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Figure 4-8: Model of the payload sled that will contain the sample

5. Autonomous Ground Support Equipment AGSE Overview The rocket will initially be placed on the launch rail in the horizontal position. It will be supported by the launch pad as well as a support bar half way down the launch rail attached to the frame of the AGSE system. The master switch will be turned on and the pause button will be activated immediately. The master switch will be hardwired into the AGSE system and will act as an emergency kill switch, cutting power to all systems. The AGSE systems will remain paused until the Launch Control Officer gives the command to proceed. Once the procedure has begun the sample retrieval unit will rotate to the position of the sample and a vertical portion of the unit will be lowered downward by a motor to pick up the sample. The motor will then raise the vertical portion of the arm and the retrieval unit will rotate to a position over top the rocket with the sample in claw and place it into the hatch, at which point the hatch’s door will shut. Once the sample is firmly inside the rocket an actuator will be activated raising the rocket and launch rail to 85 degrees from the ground. The actuator running the igniter system will then raise the electronic match into the motor until it reaches the top of it. Once it is at the top, a limit switch will be triggered telling the actuator to stop, finishing all the processes.

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Figure 5-1: Model of the rocket on the AGSE in launch ready position

AGSE Mass Statement For last year’s Centennial Challenge the system weighed a total of 143lb plus 100lb of

sandbags used to prevent the system from tipping over. This year’s system will use a similar design for raising the rail and raising the igniter so the weights should be very similar. The sample retrieval system will be completely different than last year so the weight for that system has been estimated keeping last year’s weight in mind. To prevent the stand from tipping over without the weight of the sand, several aluminum runners will extend from the base rather than one so that it is less likely to twist. With all this in mind, an estimated mass statement for the AGSE, seen in Table 5-1, shows the system weighing approximately 124lb, giving the system a 26lb margin of error.

Table 5-1: Mass estimate for the AGSE system

Item Weight

Sample Retrieval System 35lb

Base and Blast Shield 50lb

Ignition System 6lb

Erector System 4lb

Launch Rail 15lb

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Supporting Rail 9lb

Electronics 5lb

Total 124lb

Sample Retrieval System The payload retrieval system will be a robotic arm that will rotate into position over the sample. Rotational motion will be driven by either a stepper motor or DC motor with an encoder at the base of the system. This motor will drive a chain and sprocket system used to rotate all three sections of the system. This will allow the team to attach the motor off to the side of the arm so that the system does not have to move that motor. Attached to the vertical piece at the base of the system will be a 15” boom. This boom will be made of carbon fiber to reduce the weight of the system while still allowing it to be a rigid boom. A truss from the initial vertical piece to the boom may also need to be added to ensure that the boom does not creep down or bend under the weight of the rest of its system. At the end of the boom will be an adaptor to the retrieving rod. This adapter will consist of a slot to fit into the boom on one side and a hole that will guide the retrieving rod to keep it from moving in any other direction than vertical to the ground on the other side. This retrieval rod will be 4’ long in order to reach down and pick up the sample and also be able to reach over the rocket to insert the sample. Because of its long length, this rod will also be made out of either one or a series of carbon fiber rods to reduce the weight of the system. To raise and lower this rod, a belt will run from a bracket just above the top of the gripper, up to the adapter plate, around a roller, along the boom, around another roller, and then down the initial vertical bar. At the bottom of the initial bar will be a motor that will, when triggered, wrap up the belt on a spool raising the retrieval rod. When the sample needs to be placed in the rocket the motor will slowly unspool and the weight of the gripper and retrieval rod will cause that section to slowly lower. A model of the sample retrieval system can be seen in Figure 5-2 below.

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Figure 5-2: Model of the sample retrieval system in the launch ready position The gripper will consist of a stationary block and an articulating block coming from the

opposite sides with a triangular cut to cradle the payload as seen in Figure 5-3. If this system proves ineffective, the team will design a three-pronged claw to use as the gripper. The claws will cradle the payload in a similar manner to the shaped blocks, but the three-pronged claw will give a larger range of motion to the gripper. Last year, the payload also fell into the hatch, which is prohibited this year. The three-pronged gripper idea will satisfy the gravity-assist prohibition by being able to directly insert the payload into the hatch. There will also be two clips located in the payload bay which system will push the sample into. This will prevent the sample from moving around too much during flight. This design differs from last year’s as the previous gripper was a two-pronged claw that proved ineffective due to a lack of ability to sturdily grip the payload.

To operate the gripper, a small servo motor will be placed at the end of the carbon tube assembly on top of the gripper mechanism. This motor will directly operate the gripper and its close proximity will provide sufficient power to hold the payload. The wires from the servo will be run up the retrieval rod, along the boom, and back to the computer with enough slack not to get caught. The exact amount of slack will come from series of tests to ensure that it doesn’t get in the way of any other part of the system.

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Figure 5-3: Model of the gripper in its closed position without the sample

Lifting System After the payload has been placed in the rocket and the hatch has been securely closed, the rocket will be raised to a 5 degree from vertical position. This will be done with a linear actuator hinged at the base of the launch pad and on the launch rail which the rocket rests on. As the actuator extends out, the ten foot rail will gradually be lifted upwards and the actuator will gradually angle towards its vertical position. The actuator will be controlled by the same Arduino that runs the entire AGSE system. It will be programmed to run autonomously with a short delay after the hatch has closed. The linear actuator will extend until the rail is raised to its launch ready position at which point it will hit a limit switch, lock, and hold its position. Two guide plates will guide the actuator to hit the limit switch and trigger the stop as seen in Figure 5-4 and Figure 5-5.

Figure 5-4: Model of the AGSE showing the lifting system and its guide rails

Figure 5-5: Model of the AGSE that shows the placement of the lifting system’s limit switch

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This lifting system was used and tested extensively by the ISS Student Launch Team that participated in the Centennial Challenge last year. The system worked successfully and consistently so the lifting mechanism will not be significantly altered for this year’s competition. The entire process took much less than the ten minute maximum time limit and was only a fraction of a degree off of the desired angle. Even though the system worked smoothly, there are a few areas for improvement.

First, the rail was a little bit wobbly both on the way up and after it had reached its final position. It was not a significant problem because the system passed the launch readiness review and the rocket left the launch rail smoothly. The team has proposed a few ideas on how to fix this problem such as attaching guide rails similar to trusses or shortening the launch rail. In the upcoming weeks, a decision will be made on the design to stabilize the launch rail considering the new requirements of total height and weight of the AGSE system. Second, the launch pad base was not stable enough and would tend to tilt and twist over as the rocket was lifted. To fix this problem, the team added sandbags as counterweight on the legs of the launch pad opposite the rocket. However, with the new maximum weight regulation on the ground support equipment for the Centennial Challenge, the sandbags will have to be replaced with a structure to prevent it from tipping. To do this, the team plans to attach additional support rails extending out of the launch pad base towards the end of the rocket. These legs will push against the ground and keep the base from tipping over. 80/20 aluminum rails will be attached to the base by brackets. The number and length of rails needed will be calculated by the team members in the upcoming weeks. After the design has been established and the minimal adjustments have been applied, the lifting mechanism will be tested to ensure that the base does not tip over and that the rail rises smoothly. The main challenge for the team will be to keep the entire AGSE system less than 150 pounds and keep the base of the launch pad stable while raising the rocket.

Igniter Insertion System Following the lifting and locking into place of the rocket, the motor ignition system will activate after a two second pause to allow the rocket to settle into position. The motor ignitor system is made up of a 24” stroke, 35 lbf linear actuator, a metal Z-piece and an interface with the launch pad system.

The ignitor actuator’s base is attached via a locking pin pivot joint to the base of the launch pad stand. A bent aluminum piece is used to rigidly attach the actuator to the base and remove this degree of rotation. The Z-piece is attached to the top of the actuator and reaches below as shown in Figure 5-6. The bottom portion of this Z-piece will hold the ignitor as well as a limit switch that sends a signal to halt AGSE operation once the ignitor is fully inserted.

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Figure 5-6: Model of just the ignition system

The 35 lbf ignitor has more than sufficient force to raise the Z-piece and ignitor, which combine to weigh about 5 lb. The 24” stroke length will be more than sufficient to insert an ignitor into any motor of class L or under (a competition constraint). The Z-piece is made of bent ¼” aluminum and is more than sufficient in strength to hold the ignitor stiffly. The piece will undergo greater stress during motor ignition, but has proven to stand up these forces during past launches.

A guide will be included on the bottom of the launch pad to direct the top of the ignitor into the proper position below the rocket. This guide will be made up of a conical piece under the launch platform to guide the ignitor as it move upwards. This piece can be seen in Figure 5-7 below. Above the launch platform will be a small, cylindrical guide which will keep the ignitor aligned in the correct direction as the lifting motion continues to push it into the motor. This system borrows heritage heavily from the 2014-2015 Illinois Space Society team’s design. This system functioned completely and successfully during its competition run, but will be modified to offer a significant increase in reliability. In addition to the guide cone and shaft that will ensure the ignitor is correctly placed, the base of the ignitor will be more rigidly attached.

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Figure 5-7: Model of the ignition system in place on the AGSE

Electronics There will be one main electronics system that powers the whole AGSE system. This

system will run off of one 12V rechargeable battery that will be located under the robotic arm. This battery will be a 3 cell lithium polymer battery with 5200mAh and a 50C discharge rate allowing 260 amps of continuous use with a peak use of 520 amps. This battery will save a considerable amount of weight and can be used on over 20 runs with a single charge. An Arduino Mega will be used as the computer of this whole system. Each actuator will require one motor controller in order to move the motor in each direction.

The electronics will have a master kill switch placed between the battery and the computer in order to cut power to the system in case of an emergency. A pause switch will also be connected to the Arduino Mega so that the official can pause the process in case something goes wrong. For the sample retrieval system, three electric motors will be connected to motor controllers that will in turn be controlled by the Arduino. They would all be either a stepper, servo, or DC motor with an encoder so that there is still have feedback on where the arm is at all times. Two of them would be placed at the base of the sample retrieval system, one for rotating the base and the other for moving the vertical claw piece up and down. The latter will be attached to the vertical arm bar with a belt. A servo will be attached to the claw itself. The rail

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system would then have a linear actuator and limit switch connected to the computer to control that system. The limit switch is positioned underneath the launch pad, such that the rail system will stop moving at 5 degrees off of the vertical.

Lastly, the igniter system will also have a linear actuator and a limit switch to control its system. Both limit switches and the pause switch will have pull up resistors so that a steady signal is read by the computer. There will also be an orange LED used as a safety light and a green LED for the all systems go light. Further LED’s may be added to ensure power is reaching all aspects of the AGSE system as well to show that switches are in working order. The wattage at all of the limit switches and the pause switch will be minimal because they are used for signal not for directly allowing or cutting off power. The LED’s also have a small consumption of 100 mW per diode. For the master switch the largest wattage it would experience would be no more than 200 Watts. The wiring of the electronics can be seen in Figure 5-8.

Figure 5-8: Electrical schematic for the AGSE system

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6. Requirements and Solutions AGSE Requirements:

Table 6-1: Requirements and Solutions for the AGSE Requirement Solution

Launch vehicle must be placed horizontally on the AGSE

The launch vehicle will be placed onto the rail in the horizontal position and left to erect autonomously

A master switch will activate power to all autonomous procedures and subroutines

The AGSE system will include a master switch which controls all power distribution

A pause switch will halt all AGSE subroutines

The AGSE system will include a pause switch, enabling the safe pause and resumption of all AGSE activity

The AGSE will be a maximum weight of 150 pounds and no more than 12 feet in height x 12 feet in length x 10 feet in width

The AGSE will be constructed to meet the weight and size requirements

The AGSE will complete the required tasks in the required order

The AGSE will be programmed to complete the tasks in order

All AGSE systems should be fully autonomous

All AGSE components will operate free from human intervention after the procedure is started

The AGSE system will be designed to theoretically be operable in the Martian environment

The AGSE system will not include magnetometers, sound based sensors, GPS, pneumatics or air breathing systems

The launch vehicle must have a space to contain the payload and seal the payload containment area

The rocket payload bay has been designed to accommodate the given payload size as well as seal the vessel completely after the payload is placed inside

The payload will not contain any means to grab it outside of its original design

The payload will remain unmodified by the team and will be kept in its original state

The payload must be placed at least 12 inches from the AGSE and outer mold line of the launch vehicle

The team will place the payload at least 12 inches away from the AGSE and the outer mold line of the launch vehicle

Gravity-assist shall not be used to place the payload within the rocket

The payload will be placed in the rocket without the use of gravity using a claw and lifting system with clips for placement

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Each team will be given 10 minutes to complete the autonomous portion of the competition

The team will ensure the full autonomous portion will take significantly less than 10 minutes as a safety measure

A master switch which controls power to all parts of AGSE must be easily accessible

The AGSE system will include a master kill switch which directly can cut power to all systems, placed on a separate control box

A pause switch which terminates AGSE actions must be included and easily accessible

A pause switch will be placed on the control box alongside the master kill switch which will terminate all AGSE procedures

An orange safety light must be included which indicates power is on, flashing when active and solid while paused

The team will include and orange safety light on the main AGSE system to display the current state of the system

An all systems go light must be included to verify all systems have passed safety verifications and the rocket is ready to launch

The team will include an all systems go light that verifies that the system has passed all verifications and is prepped for launch

Challenges and Solutions: Table 6-2: Solutions to the challenges involved in this competition

Challenge Solution

Quick assembly on launch day Create and follow launch day checklists for all team members to follow. Make sure all components are easily assembled beforehand.

Imprecise parachute deployment Perform detailed charge testing before and after construction of the flight vehicle to ensure correct sized charges for proper deployment

Imprecise altitude prediction Collect data on several test flights to ensure proper motor selection and ballast characteristics

Fins could break during flight or upon ground impact

Ensure fins are properly attached. Simulate stress and strain on CAD

Parts not fitting as expected during assembly

Assemble all components via CAD, then ensure scaled down prototype parts fit properly

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Hatch mechanism not functioning as predicted

Create scaled down version of hatch mechanism before implementing on flight vehicle to ensure operational capabilities

Hatch seal failure during flight Simulate vibrational forces on a CAD system to ensure force handling capabilities and ensure the hatch has a secure sealing mechanism

Hatch door closing before payload sample is inserted into canister

Investigate failsafe options to remotely reset the system and re-open the door in the event of an AGSE malfunction

Dropping the sample after the claw has picked it up

The end effector will be made to tightly grip the sample and ‘encase’ it so that it can’t fall out of the fingers. It will be tested many times before launch day.

Getting the rocket from the horizontal to vertical position

The mechanism will consist of a strong linear actuator that will be capable of lifting the rocket with a large weight margin left.

Locking the rocket at five degrees off the vertical position

There will be a limit switch to stop the linear actuator lifting the rocket at five degrees off the vertical position. The linear actuator will lock the rail in position even when no power is applied

Inserting the ignitor into the motor without destroying the mechanism inserting it

The whole mechanism will be placed in a 2 foot span below the blast plate to protect it from the blast. The ignitor will then rise through a small hole in the plate

Keeping the ignitor on a straight path into the motor so that it is not broken.

The ignitor will be on a rod lifted by a linear actuator to insure a straight path and will be guided into the rocket by a cone to minimize the chance of missing the nozzle

Payload retrieval system reaching both the ground and the rocket.

The retrieval system has carefully calculated sections so that it will be able to reach out to the payload and back to the rocket

Payload retrieval positioned 12 inches away from the payload

The retrieval system will be able to rotate to reach the payload after placing it so its initial position can be 12 inches away

Electrical motors having not enough torque

Calculations were made with estimated weights to ensure all motors will be strong enough

The blast destroying the AGSE equipment

The main AGSE equipment will be far enough away from the rocket that the blast will not damage it but the ignitor system will be shielded by a blast plate

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Positioning the equipment at the same spot every time

All the individual systems will be rigidly but not permanently attached so that they will be in the same position every time

Making sure that the sample will be located at the same place every time outside of the mold line

Many test runs will be done to ensure the knowledge of where the payload goes. Measurements will be taken to ensure it meets the distance requirements

7. Educational Engagement Throughout the duration of Student Launch, the ISS Tech Team intends to actively

engage educators and students throughout the state of Illinois. The purpose of these activities will be to not only teach the community about the principles behind rocketry and flight, but also to inspire support and participation in the future of spaceflight technologies. Since the theory behind rocketry is conceptually too abstract for younger students, engagement activities will revolve around hands-on demonstrations of the basic principles of rocketry. Due to the nature of this project, the team will also be able to demonstrate robotic theory to the community, which is an area of great interest to young minds.

These activities will be distributed continuously throughout the project, and as such the outcome of activities will be evaluated in order to improve future events. Students, educators and team members will be asked to respond to surveys requesting feedback for the events. The main focus of this feedback will be determining the interest level of those involved, and the understanding of principles demonstrated by the team. This will allow the team to adjust presentations for future activities in order to better educate the community. An initial draft of this feedback form is given in Appendix B. Through the team website the team will also implement a contact system wherein participants of outreach events may request further information or demonstrations from the team. The Illinois Space Society and the College of Engineering offer numerous opportunities for 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. Currently, that team is developing an enrichment class curriculum that will provide Common Core educational requirements. Additionally, the team intends on offering hands on demonstrations to students at the University High School on campus and the high schools previously attended by team members. This allows students to both give back to the local community and the institutions that have previously educated the team. 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 contact with local Boy Scout groups through previous engagements, and the team plans on capitalizing on these opportunities for additional engagement.

Another major opportunity for engagement is the College of Engineering’s Open House in early March. As this is only several days before the educational engagement deadline, the team will strive to complete 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 students and community members. Although not all of these attendees may 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

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engineers and scientists. 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 at advertised times in order to allow structured hands-on demonstrations.

8. Project Plan The following table presents important milestones along with their required or expected dates of completion.

Table 8-1: Estimated completion date of various milestones Milestone Completion Date

Proposal Due September 11th

Selection Notification October 2nd

Kickoff and PDR Q&A October 7th

Team Web Presence Established October 23rd

PDR Report, Slides and Flysheet November 6th

PDR Presentation November 9th-20th

Subscale Test Flight December 5th

CDR Report, Slides and Flysheet January 15th

CDR Presentation January 19th-29th

AGSE Construction Complete February 14th

Vehicle Construction Complete February 24th

Recovery System Ejection Testing February 28th

Full Scale Test Flight Complete March 5th

Open House Educational Outreach March 11th-12th

FRR Report, Slides and Flysheet March 14th

FRR Presentation March 17th-30th

Travel to Huntsville April 13th

Launch Readiness Reviews April 13th

LRR and Safety Briefing April 14th

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Rocket Fair and MSFC Tours April 15th

Launch Day, Banquet April 16th

Backup Launch Day April 17th

Post Launch Assessment Review April 29th

Winning Team Announced May 11th

Budget Table 8-2: Summary of Expenses

Item Cost [USD]

Rocket Structure 349

Motors 553

Recovery and Parachutes 464

Sample Canister System 470

AGSE Robot Arm 814

AGSE Igniter Placement 130

AGSE Lifting System 1,350

AGSE Launch Pad 450

Subscale Rocket 120

Educational Outreach 100

Structure Total 4,800

Travel and Accommodations 3,210

Total Cost 8,010

Cost of Previously Purchased Parts 2,010

Total Cost Incurred by the Illinois Space Society 6,000

Funding Plan As a technical project team under the Illinois Space Society, the Student Launch Competition will be funded as a registered student organization. The funding plan developed by the Illinois Space Society treasurer and approved by the executive board is shown below.

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Table 8-3: Student Launch Project Funding Plan Source Amount in US Dollars

Student Organization Resource Fee 1,500

Engineering Council 1,050

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Aerospace Department

1,000

Corporate Sponsorship / Illinois Space Society 3,950

Total Funding 7,500 The total budget, including the development and trip cost, necessary for this year’s project was estimated to be $8010 including travel and accommodations in Huntsville. The necessary budget however will be $6000 due to the fact that the team is reusing many of the parts from last year’s AGSE and some of the rockets electronics. The Illinois Space Society’s team last year used approximately $7000 for the entire project including the trip costs. This year’s necessary budget was based on the expenses of last year’s team considering the fact that many parts of the AGSE system will be reused and that there are more members on the team this year that would be interested in traveling to Huntsville for the trip. After everything has been accounted for, there is an additional $1500 in the budget for extra leeway during the project. The team will also be well below the competition budget maximum with an estimated structures budget of $4,800. As it can be seen above, the funding for the Student Launch competition will come from a wide variety of sources. The Student Organization Resource Fee (SORF) is a mandatory fee collected each semester from all University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign students. The resource fee is then allocated among Registered Student Organizations. The organizations go through an application process after which the SORF board determines the amount of funding and the organizations that receives the funding. These funds can be used for purchasing equipment and travel expenses related to the project. The Illinois Space Society plans to request a funding of $1500 from SORF to be used both for equipment and travel expenses. Engineering Council is the umbrella organization of all engineering Registered Student Organizations on campus. They do a variety of things such as give awards, host events, and provide funding. For funding, Engineering Council awards a grant of $525 to deserving organizations for projects each season. Illinois Space Society will ask Engineering Council for the funding of Student Launch in the fall season. The period of this funding will be from October 15th to December 15th, so the Student Launch team will order components for the project within that time frame. Engineering Council also gives out separate funding for trips to conferences and other professional events. Illinois Space Society will ask for a funding of $525 in the spring period to fund the trip of team members to Huntsville, Alabama. The aerospace department at UIUC also provides funding for technical projects by aerospace student organizations. ISS will ask the aerospace department for funding of $1000 for his Student Launch competition. This money will be used to purchase components to build the AGSE and rocket.

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The remaining cost of $3950 will be covered by corporate sponsors and the Illinois Space Society. ISS is constantly searching for outside sponsors to help fund technical projects, educational outreach, and other events. The technical director of ISS will specifically market the Student Launch competition to try and get corporate or other outside sponsors for this project. As it can be difficult to find outside funding and to estimate an amount, the rest of the cost of this project will be provided by ISS.

In wake of the recent budget cuts at the university it may be difficult to receive funding from university organizations. ISS and the Student Launch team will aim to reduce costs and obtain funding from outside resources such as companies in the aerospace industry in exchange for publicity. The team will consider putting advertising on hardware with stickers and also inviting company representatives to have informational sessions on campus.

Community Support 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 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 endeavor to involve these educators to obtain relevant information regarding technical design issues.

In terms of monetary 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 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. Most notably, the ISS Tech Team has had previous contact with companies willing to supply excess carbon fiber and other composite materials for educational purposes. 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.

The team will explain the history of the ISS Tech Team as well as details of the current project. As a means of encouragement for potential sponsors, the team plans on placing company logos on team apparel and the vehicle itself, as well as placing sponsor mentions on the team website.

Sustainability The ISS Student Launch team is focused on creating an environment of acceptance, enthusiasm, and learning in order to ensure a sustainable future for rocketry in the community. Team members are recruited regardless of major, technical knowledge, or years of experience, and 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 non-engineering majors active in the ISS Student Launch team. Over half 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.

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The sharing of knowledge continues far beyond the members of the team. The Illinois Space Society has an active educational outreach team dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. By fostering interest in science throughout middle and high school, the team is hoping to ensure the future of rocketry in the community. Most of the ISS membership comes from central Illinois and the suburbs of Chicago and so these are areas of importance to the educational efforts of the team.

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.

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Appendix A 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: http://www.drs.illinois.edu/Training?section=GeneralLabSafety 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, email, 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.

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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 https://www.drs.illinois.edu/SafetyLibrary/CompressedGasCylinderSafety 11. 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. 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.

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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.

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Appendix B

Illinois Space Society Student Launch Educational Feedback Form

How interesting was the demonstration? (1 – Boring, 10 – Extremely Interesting)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

How much did you learn from this demonstration? (1 – Nothing, 10 – A Lot)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

How interesting was the presentation? (1 – Boring, 10 – Extremely Interesting)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

How much did you learn from this presentation? (1 – Nothing, 10 – A Lot)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

What did you enjoy from your time with us?

What was your least favorite part of your time with us?

Appendix C

NAR MODEL ROCKET SAFETY CODE EFFECTIVE AUGUST 2012

1. Materials. I will use only lightweight, non-metal parts for the nose, body, and fins of my rocket.

2. Motors. I will use only certified, commercially-made model rocket motors, and will not tamper with these motors or use them for any purposes except those recommended by the manufacturer.

3. Ignition System. I will launch my rockets with an electrical launch system and electrical motor igniters. My launch system will have a safety interlock in series with the launch switch, and will use a launch switch that returns to the “off” position when released.

4. Misfires. If my rocket does not launch when I press the button of my electrical launch system, I will remove the launcher’s safety interlock or disconnect its battery, and will wait 60 seconds after the last launch attempt before allowing anyone to approach the rocket.

5. Launch Safety. I will use a countdown before launch, and will ensure that everyone is paying attention and is a safe distance of at least 15 feet away when I launch rockets with D motors or smaller, and 30 feet when I launch larger rockets. If I am uncertain about the safety or stability of an untested rocket, I will check the stability before flight and will fly it only after warning spectators and clearing them away to a safe distance. When conducting a simultaneous launch of more than ten rockets I will observe a safe distance of 1.5 times the maximum expected altitude of any launched rocket.

6. Launcher. I will launch my rocket from a launch rod, tower, or rail that is pointed to within 30 degrees of the vertical to ensure that the rocket flies nearly straight up, and I will use a blast deflector to prevent the motor’s exhaust from hitting the ground. To prevent accidental eye injury, I will place launchers so that the end of the launch rod is above eye level or will cap the end of the rod when it is not in use.

7. Size. My model rocket will not weigh more than 1,500 grams (53 ounces) at liftoff and will not contain more than 125 grams (4.4 ounces) of propellant or 320 N-sec (71.9 pound-seconds) of total impulse.

8. Flight Safety. I will not launch my rocket at targets, into clouds, or near airplanes, and will not put any flammable or explosive payload in my rocket.

9. Launch Site. I will launch my rocket outdoors, in an open area at least as large as shown in the accompanying table, and in safe weather conditions with wind speeds no greater than 20 miles per hour. I will ensure that there is no dry grass close to the launch pad, and that the launch site does not present risk of grass fires.

10. Recovery System. I will use a recovery system such as a streamer or parachute in my rocket so that it returns safely and undamaged and can be flown again, and I will use only flame-resistant or fireproof recovery system wadding in my rocket.

11. Recovery Safety. I will not attempt to recover my rocket from power lines, tall trees, or other dangerous places.

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Launch Site Dimensions

Installed Total Impulse (N-sec) Equivalent Motor Type Minimum Site Dimensions (ft.)

0.00–1.25 1/4A, 1/2A 50

1.26–2.50 A 100

2.51–5.00 B 200

5.01–10.00 C 400

10.01–20.00 D 500

20.01–40.00 E 1,000

40.01–80.00 F 1,000

80.01–160.00 G 1,000

160.01–320.00 Two Gs 1,500

Revision of August, 2012

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