Project Groundbreaker

1. Mission Overview & Team Structure

  • Objective: Deliver an 8.8 lb scientific payload to 10,000 ft AGL using a COTS solid motor, and recover it safely while streaming live video.

  • Team Composition: Divided into five subsystems: Avionics, Structures, Payload, Propulsion, and Recovery — coordinated by a project manager and individual subsystem leads.

  • Educational Focus: Emphasis on hands-on learning, composite manufacturing, CNC machining, avionics integration, and outreach through local STEM events like SciFest.

2. Rocket Design & Flight Profile

  • Vehicle Name: Groundbreaker

  • Motor: Loki M-3000-LW, a solid COTS motor with:

    • Average Thrust: 2,946 N

    • Peak Thrust: 4,780 N

    • Impulse: 8,838 Ns over ~3 seconds

  • Structure:

    • Carbon fiber lower airframe and motor mount fabricated in-house

    • Fiberglass upper airframe and nose cone (purchased)

    • CNC-machined magnesium-aluminum tail cone and aluminum fins

  • Flight Phases:

    • Boost → Coast → Apogee (drogue deployment) → Descent to 1500 ft → Main parachute deployment → Touchdown

    • Simulated apogee ~10,000 ft, max velocity ~936 ft/s

3. Payload & Avionics

  • Payload Goal: Collect air samples (gases, particulates, microorganisms) for analysis using:

    • 3 air inlets and solenoid-controlled valves

    • PTFE filters and a pressure vessel for contamination-free sampling

  • Sensors: Custom SRAD computer (Teensy-based) with pressure and temperature sensors; payload deployment altitudes governed by barometric sensing.

  • Avionics Bay:

    • Dual Stratologgers for parachute deployment

    • Raspberry Pi + breakout board for telemetry, IMU, GPS, and barometer

    • Two Runcam 5s and analog video transmitters for live downlink

    • Backup GPS (Big Red Bee) for recovery

4. Recovery, Testing, and Lessons Learned

  • Recovery System:

    • Dual-deploy using black powder charges (7.2 g each)

    • Drogue at apogee (61 ft/s descent), main at 1,500 ft (19 ft/s descent)

    • Kevlar shock cords and Nomex protectors; stainless steel swivels

  • Testing:

    • Multiple ground tests for black powder charges and payload integration

    • Fin flutter simulations, surface heating tests, and epoxy curing validations

  • Lessons & Improvements:

    • Switch from G10 to 6061 aluminum for fins due to material failure

    • Thermal management of carbon fiber tube via white paint after realizing epoxy Tg limits

    • Avionics complexity managed with redundancy and modular design