Our Crowdfunding Groups
The avionics team makes the various flight computers we use in our rockets. For Honu, they've been working on creating custom PCBs for different sensors and peripherals, experimenting with video encoding algorithms, making a C++ interface between camera interface and encoders, and working on a Kalman filter for accurate position, velocity, and acceleration data.
The payload team this year plans to develop a releasable inner payload that has some control over its descent but also has the ability to hold and release an autonomous glider. The team has built a test glider, developed PCBs, and performed some drop tests off a parking garage so far.
Based on our experience making our own motor last year, we have decided to use the same propellant this year with updated motor geometry. The motor will be around 40” long and contain 12-13 lbs of propellant. We have simulated it with software to find the proper burn rate coefficients, which allowed us to determine an acceptable bore diameter and nozzle throat diameter. Onto test firing!
Our rocket for the SAC 2024 has been fully designed by our Chief Engineer and the aerostructures team. We have named it Honu, and it will fly in the 10K SRAD category again. The team has began fabricating the airframe components, like the fiberglass fins and the body tubes made using fiberglass and carbon fiber layups.
The team designed and developed an air brake module to deploy drag-inducing flaps that would slow the rocket down to reach our precise target altitude.
The air brake team delivered one of the 24 podium sessions at Spaceport America 2023, Air Brake Induced Barometric Error Correction Using a Wind Tunnel Data-Driven Approach, and a top-six finish in the modeling and simulation awards. Additionally, the air brake team wrote a paper accepted to Scitech 2024 titled, The Development of a Drag-Modulating Closed-loop Feedback System to Control a Rocket’s Ascent. This paper will be published and presented in January 2024.
A few members of the team presented on the development of the air brake at the AIAA YPSE Conference at the JHU APL recently, and won first place for the best undergraduate presentation!
In June 2023, the team travelled to New Mexico to compete in the Spaceport America Cup. Our rocket, Karkinos, was 13 feet tall and weighed around 80 pounds! We built it for the 10K SRAD category.
Karkinos placed 2nd in its category and 5th place overall! Our technical report earned 3rd place overall.
A donation of this amount will go towards buying basic materials and parts for our various teams such as epoxy, gloves, and paper towels.
Donors giving this amount will help to cover the cost of competition registration fees! Donors will get their name in small text on the competition rocket!
A donation of this amount will help the team provide components and motors to team members to earn their high power certifications. Donors will receive their name in medium text on the rocket!
Donors who pledge this amount will help the team purchase motors and motor chemicals for test flights of the competition rocket. You will receive your name in large text on the competition rocket!
By donating this amount you are helping the team cover costs to travel across the country to attend the competition. You will receive your name in large text on the rocket and a social media shoutout!
A generous donation of this amount will help cover a large portion of the expenses for travel and construction of the entire rocket. You will receive your name in very large text on the rocket, have your name read out before the launch of the rocket, and a social media shoutout!