Applications and Implications

Final Project Proposal

My FInal Project is going to be a Rocket Floght Computer, to record data about a rocket flight.

What will it do?

• The Data is going to be GPS data, Gyroscope data (acceleration, oreientation, position)
• Communicate with ground station computer over wifi and log flight data to an onboard SD-Card

Who's done what beforehand?

• As per Neils Greshenfield, arocket flight computer was never built before in the Fab Academy. What was done in the past were drones and custom flight computers.

What will you design?

• PCB
• Propulsion: Engine nozzle
• rocket body and packaging

Essential materials and components

• ESP32-DEVKIT-V1 (main chip), and Arduino Uno data logging
• LoRa (final decision), HC12, CC2530 ZigBee UART Wireless
• GPS Module (BN220 3.0V-5.0V TTL level GNSS)
• Servo motor (Parachute ejection)
• Relays (Engine/rocket motor ignition)
• 110mm PCV Pipe, 80cm long
• PLA Filament (Printed Engine Case, Nose cone, and Nozzle)
• 99.9% KNO3, White Sugar (For fuel: Rocket candy)
• Copper layered PCB Boards
• Pin Headers
• 3mm MDF (For fins)
• Etc...

Where will they come from?

• The materials will be purchased from local electronics reseller/retailers salvaging pipes, chemical importers

How much will they cost?

• Total cost around $500
• Bill of Material file Link here

Parts to be made

• Computer system
• Rocket body
• Propulsion system (engine, fuel, nozzle, ingiters)
• Fins

Processes used

• Fuel grains (Rocket Candy): Gridding KNO3-Sugar crystals, heat blending (cooking), casting fluid tiolet paper cores to make grains
• Rocket body: Electric cutting (Reshaping.repurposing 110mm PVC pipe)
• Power sawing(2nd rocket protype): Cutting cardboard 70mm (diameter) cylinders into smaller, 45cm tall
• Laser Cutting: Fins

Questions to be answered

• Can you log flight data?
• can you transmit data to the rocket?
• Does teh rocket lift?

How will it be evaluated?

• Ability to retrieve usefull data for flight analysis
• Can somebody else build from it?