In Seds, we work together as different teams to achieve the goals and the targets in a more specialized way. Our rocketry team is a group of around 25 highly enthusiastic and determined people who are passionately working to achieve their targets and is named as Artemis.
The aim of the team is to build a rocket and participate in the SA Cup. The Spaceport America Cup on the SA Cup is intercollegiate rocket building competition. Nearly 1700 students participate from about 150 countries. The teams go to New Mexico, USA where they are providing with the opportunity to launch your own rockets at the controlled airspace of Spaceport America. They provide all the launch facilities, and the teams just need to make the rocket and fix it to the launcher. The main objective is to launch the rocket till an altitude of 10,000 ft. and make it land safely. The Artemis team participates in the COTS (commercially off the shelf) category in which we can buy the motor and fix it to our rocket, we need not make it. Basically, we build two rockets with different specifications:
Apeiron II- Airframe length: 267 cm Peak thrust: 2680 N Predicted Apogee:10102 ft
Apeiron III- Airframe length: 2.5 m Peak thrust: 2680 N Predicted Apogee: 3.028 km
Team Artemis further has four subsystems to ensure that every aspect of the process is covered in a professional way, and these are named as - Structures, Avionics, Recovery and Payload.
Here’s how building rockets in SEDS BPHC works:
- We design every part on software like OpenRocket and then simulate them using other softwares. Then we verify the simulations with the help of seniors, PhD Scholars and professors. After all the verification is completed, we go for actual manufacturing. We outsource some parts and build some on our own.
In Seds we work as different teams to achieve the goals and the targets in a more specialised way and our rocketry team is a group of around 25 highly enthusiastic and determined people who are passionately working to achieve their targets and is named as Artemis.
The aim of the team is to build a rocket and participate in the SA Cup. The Spaceport America Cup on the SA Cup is intercollegiate rocket building competition. Nearly 1700 students participate from about 150 countries. The teams go to New Mexico, USA where they are providing with the opportunity to launch your own rockets at the controlled airspace of Spaceport America. They provide all the launch facilities and the teams just need to make the rocket and fix it to the launcher. The main objective is to launch the rocket 10,000 ft. and make it land safely. The Artemis team participates in the COTS (commercially off the shelf) category in which we can buy the motor and fix it to our rocket, we need not make it. Basically, we build two rockets with different specifications:
Apeiron II- Airframe length: 267 cm Peak thrust: 2680 N Predicted Apogee:10102 ft
Apeiron III- Airframe length: 2.5 m Peak thrust: 2680 N Predicted Apogee: 3.028 km
Team Artemis further has four subsystems to ensure that every aspect of the process is covered in a professional way and these are named as - Structures, Avionics, Recovery and Payload.
Here’s how building rockets in SEDS BPHC works:
- We design every part on softwares like OpenRocket and then simulate them using other softwares. Then we verify the simulations with the help of seniors, PhD Scholars and professors. After all the verification is completed, we go for actual manufacturing. We outsource some parts and build some on our own. Let us have a look on how different subsystems work in Team Artemis.
(1) Structures This subsystem is responsible for the design, simulation, and fabrication of the rocket airframe. We work with composite materials and employ CAD and CFD for our design and simulations.
With the rocket model having been edited according to manufacturability, simulations concerning the structure and fluid dynamics were run. After ordering the various components involved, the focus shifted towards manufacturing body tubes for the rocket, an airbrake assembly for the rocket and multiple prototypes needed for trial launches and requisite tests to be conducted.
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Avionics This subsystem looks into the electronics requirements of the mission. This involves telemetry logging, GPS, ground communication, altimetry, etc. We used Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and coded it using Arduino. Now, with the aim to reduce PCB footprints and accommodate more sensers and for accurate measurement: SMD Components have been incorporated.
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Recovery
This subsystem deals with safely getting the rocket back to the ground. They are in charge of designing parachutes, optimizing descent rates, designing ejection charges, and other details related to the safe recovery of the rocket. The reefing mechanisms that control the rate of opening of parachute and it’s opening area are set in place with the completion of allied calculations. After seeking guidance from a high-ranking scientist regarding parachute manufacturing, we designed a first of its kind CO2 ejection system. With the CAD files in place, purchase of components is awaited at the time of writing.
- Payload We used a biological payload for which we got a special mention at the 2021 SA Cup. We are no longer using a biological payload is and the subsystem is being restructured.
Our pivot In the coming few months, we are going to pivot into a project-based team. All the subsystems will focus on a few projects relevant to their area and publish papers. This will help students interested in aerospace get an exposure to the field with hands-on experience as well points on their resume for external research internships and master’s applications.