Rocket Prototype

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 11 - The End?

Far from it. I revised the entirety of the Rocket Nose Cone and realised a pressing issue: “you can’t access the inside of the nose cone.”

Rookie mistake.

On my third design, I decided to separate the nose cone into three components: the shoulder, the actual nose cone/ogive, and an avionics sled for the PCB components to be stored.

(BTW the time recorded for this was ONLY for the sled that I finally finished today - the remaining components were me not being bothered to record [whoops]).

The avionics sled SHOULD be printed out by tomorrow but lets see how that goes!

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 10 - Shipment
// FIN.

• GitHub is complete.
• Simulations are complete.
• Prototype model is done.

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 9 - Rocket Nose Finalisation and more GitHub Repo Editing! Today I spent hours of moiling away at SolidWorks:

• Learning how to add Fillets
• Creating a boss structure
• Building the nose cone module and the shock cord section that attaches to the eyebolt.

This is likely going to be the last or second last dev log I upload as I am 90-95% complete now!

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 8 - Rocket Nose Cone Amendments and GitHub Repo Editing!

I spent an ungodly amount of time scanning through my GitHub Repo, overhauling it and optimising it in preparation for shipping. There’s still a fair amount of work to do, but I got through a fair chunk of it.

I also made an updated model for the Rocket Nose Cone. It’s far from complete as I need to discern the appropriateness of measurements when incorporating the shock cord module into the shoulder linked to the nose cone. I aim to finish a fair majority of this project tomorrow so stay tuned!

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 7 - PCB COMPLETION!!!

Today has been nothing short of thrilling:

• I finished my PCB for the Orion Flight Computer for my Odyssey Rocket. I revised the schematics in KiCad, caught some errors and fixed the footprints before implementing the final touches (don’t go too hard on my design this is my first one).
• I learnt how to make the Nose Cone for my Rocket in SolidWorks! It’s a Von Karman Ogive that may be too optimised for subsonic travel, but we shall see….
• My //README.md// and //journal.md// has been updated to reflect these changes.

Now…what’s next?

• Code the C+ code (or whichever coding language) is required for the Orion Flight Computer.
• Assemble a Bill of Materials.
• Finish the project and finalise it for funding as my 19th birthday under 2 weeks away….

Rocket Prototype - Devlog 4

Today, I learnt the fundamentals of KiCad and was able to build my own schematic for the way I would like to structure the projects computer. It pretty much just features an Arduino, MPU6050, and BMP388.I have had zero experience in this field, so this was a challenging yet rewarding experience after I got it down pat! This is basic for now; I intend on adding a power source (for obvious reasons) and a MicroSD card reader for in-flight tracking.Stay tuned for when I make the PCB!

(this is a reupload: I asked the Stardance developers to shift this post from one project to this one on Slack but due to a lack of response and not wanting to lose the hours I committed, I did this so that the hours would be here when it came to product shipment).

Mods: Please refer to https://stardance.hackclub.com/projects/47535 for the associated session.

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 6

Today, I just spent some time reconstructing the MPU6050 component as the Adafruit variation was different compared to the industry standard component (12 pins versus 6 pins).

I updated the schematic to accommodate for these changes. As such, since I have finished the schematics and footprints for all of the components, I will shift my focus toward making the actual PCB for the Orion Flight Computer (I thought the name sounded cool).

Looking forward to building it!

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 5

Today, I mastered the fundamentals of KiCad. I determined appropriate wiring as well as finalising schematics for the components.

Tomorrow, I’ll have to redo the MPU6050 component as I decided to change to a more documented part, but otherwise, a productive session nonetheless! I also learnt how footprints operate, and managed to design them in preparation for the final step, which would be making the custom PCB!

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 3

Today, I finally learned the fundamentals of OpenRocket! I worked out where to place the individual components, such as the parachute deployment system, whilst also discerning key concepts like the centre of gravity and centre of pressure.

I modelled it within the optimal stability range of 1.5-2 cal with it being 2.01 cal. This was truly a fun process as I got to play around with dimensions, measure some components irl (the body of my rocket is going to be a 660x60mm postal tube, so I based the measurements of this as such!).

Now that I have planned out the build dimensions, I can shift my focus towards learning how to make an avionics bay and furthering my SolidWorks knowledge!

Rocket Prototype | Devlog 2
introduced myself to OpenRocket, an open-source program that lets you visualise a rocket and run simulations on it.

I managed to grasp a basic understanding of how the software works: you select the components you want for your rocket while determining the appropriateness of certain features to optimise factors such as:

Stability
CP — Centre of Pressure
CG — Centre of Gravity
Aerodynamic performance
Something I initially struggled with was producing a stable rocket.

From what I later discerned, my stability calibre was not optimal and was one reason why the rocket was underperforming in simulations.

I initially had a stability value above 2.8 cal, believing that a higher calibre automatically meant a more stable rocket. However, excessive stability can also result in poorer aerodynamic behaviour.

Log 1 - Learning Software!

I had a busy day today studying for engineering, working, and gymming but I promised myself that I would get started on this project! Today, I spent just over half an hour familiarising myself with Solidworks, mirroring a YouTube tutorial as well as experimenting with its own features. This is one small step for progress and one giant leap into my journey to building my first project!

I will keep myself accountable throughout this journey and I cannot wait for the finalised project!