NASA USLI Rocket Competition

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NASA USLI Rocket Competition
Kolton Jones, Daniel Jones, Timothy Bucklew, Owen
Gaul Mariel Shumate, Keith Andrew Physics and
Astronomy Western Kentucky University

• National Collegiate Competition to launch and
  return safely a rocket with a
• NASA payload to a height of 1 mile.
• Engage students of all levels in science
• University
• High School
• Middle School
• National Recruitment
• PR for NASA and STEM

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May 2012- April 2013 NASA Student Launch Teams
(University/College) 1. Alabama AM University
-- Normal, Ala.2. California Polytechnic Pomona
-- Pomona, Calif.3. Century College -- White
Bear Lake, Minn.4. Citrus College -- Glendora,
Calif.5. Clark College -- Vancouver, Wash.6.
Florida AM University -- Tallahassee, Fla.7.
Georgia Institute of Technology -- Atlanta,
Ga.8. Harper College -- Palatine, Ill.9.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology --
Cambridge, Mass.10. Mississippi State University
-- Starkville, Miss.11. New Mexico State
University -- Las Cruces, N.M.12. North Carolina
State University -- Raleigh, N.C.13. Northwest
Indian College -- Bellingham, Wash.14.
Northwestern University -- Evanston, Ill.15.
Pennsylvania State University -- University Park,
Pa.16. Purdue University -- West Lafayette,
Ind.17. Santa Fe College -- Gainesville,
Fla.18. Tarleton State University --
Stephenville, Texas19. University of Alabama --
Tuscaloosa, Ala.20. University of Alabama in
Huntsville -- Huntsville, Ala.21. University of
California Davis -- Davis, Calif.22. University
of Central Florida -- Orlando, Fla.23.
University of Florida -- Gainesville, Fla.24.
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign --
Champaign, Ill.25. University of Louisville --
Louisville, Ky.26. University of Minnesota --
Minneapolis, Minn.27. University of Nebraska --
Lincoln, Neb.28. University of New Hampshire --
Durham, N.H.29. University of North Carolina
Charlotte -- Charlotte, N.C.30. University of
North Dakota -- Grand Forks, N.D.31. University
of Notre Dame -- South Bend, Ind.32. University
of South Alabama -- Mobile, Ala.33. Vanderbilt
University -- Nashville, Tenn.34. Virginia Tech
-- Blacksburg, Va.35. Western Kentucky
University -- Bowling Green, Ky.36. Windward
Community College -- Kaneohe, Hawaii
Student Members of WKU USLI Rocket Team Vette City Rockets Student Members of WKU USLI Rocket Team Vette City Rockets Student Members of WKU USLI Rocket Team Vette City Rockets Student Members of WKU USLI Rocket Team Vette City Rockets
Name Major Graduating Class
1 Bucklew, Timothy BS Mechanical Engineering 2014
2 Carvalho Pelossi, Bruno Physics Brazilian Exchange Student
3 Covetts, James BS Computer Science 2013
4 Dong, Samuel BS Computer Science, BS  Physics Gatton 2013
5 Dowell, Steven BS Electrical Engineering 2014
6 Edens, Jordan BS Mechanical Engineering 2015
7 Gaulle, Owen BS Physics 2013
8 Ghanta, Akhil BS Physics Gatton 2013
9 Heintzman, Eli BS Physics 2015
10 Jones, Daniel BS Physics 2013
11 Jones, Kolton BS Physics 2014
12 Leszczewicz, Jason BS Physics 2013
13 Masuda, Shane BS Physics Gatton 2013
14 Shumate, Mariel BS Mechanical Engineering 2014
15 Stansel, Jeffrey BS Mechanical Engineering 2014
16 Wei, Daniel BS Physics, BS Mathematics Gatton 2014
17 Wood, Duncan BS Physics, BA French Gatton 2013
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WKU Vette City Rocket Plans

1. Design, Budget, Outreach and Testing
2. Subscale Testing at WKU Rudolf Field 6 launches,
   try for 1500 ft
3. Half Scale Testing at Cemetery Field 3 Launches,
   try for ½ mile 2640 ft
4. Charge Subscale Testing at E-Field 1 Launch
5. Full Scale Test at C-Field 1 Launch 1mile
6. Huntsville Launch in April 1 Launch 1mile

11 Month Project Current 43.5 lbs, 7.25 ft, 8.0
diameter NASA Check in every two months Budget
Max. Rocket and Payload 5k Cost of full scale
engine 350 Motor Choice Aerotech
L1420R Students must do 100 of work Licensed
Engine Mentor Level 3 NAR D. Hanks
Team Name Vette City Rocket Mailing Address
1906 College Heights 11077 Name of Mentor
Darryl Hanks Level 3 NAR certification
NASA words of advice please make a stable
rocket.
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WKU Vette City Sponsors
Computer Coding Solutions Games to Web
Design Nashville Road Bowling Green, KY
ACE Electrical Engineering Microprocessors,
Boards, PCs
NASA KY Space Grant UK, EPSCoR
Randolph, Hale Meredith, Inc.
Industrial Suppliers Medical, Mechanical,
Display 319 State Street / P.O. Box 1217
Bowling Green, KY. 42101 Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]  Web Site www.randolph-electr
onic.com E-Mail sales_at_randolph-electronic.com
General Motors Corvettes in BG
search   Robotic Designs     Controller Boards     Software and Interface    Chassis and Accessories    Application Studio       Customer Service Assistance  
Design and Distribution of Microchips Corporate
HeadquartersMicrochip Technology Inc.2355 West
Chandler Blvd.Chandler, Arizona, USA
85224-6199(480) 792-7200
Creating Robotic Solutions Interface,
applications, controllers
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Dynamic Stability CP is below CG
SHM about CG due to torques acting at CP? damped
harmonic motion
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Drift Field Parameters
Consider a rocket in open parachute recovery mode
at altitude h, with descent velocity v in the
presence of a horizontal wind. The rocket will
drift a distance d from the location of parachute
opening. To find the drift distance we will
Scale model test launch at WKU Rudolph Field

• Use Newtons Laws of motion to relate the drag
  force to the weight
• and terminal speed of the rocket
• 2. Estimate the drag force in terms of the drag
  coefficient and parachute area
• 3. Determine the descent velocity given the
  parachute area at terminal speed
• 4. Relate this to the total time of descent
• 5. Model various drift distances for a given
  horizontal wind speed
• 6. Fit parameters and estimates from flight data
• 7. Develop a rapid calculation rule consistent
  with the detailed analysis

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Newtons Second Law of Motion Descent Velocity
During Recovery
y
F-drag
g9.8m/s2
x
Wmg
Small safe recovery v2.5 m/s Larger rocket,
higher h, v 5 m/s Typical Drag Forces 12.54 N
lt F lt 18.5 N
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Frictional Drag Force in a Fluid Humidity and
Altitude
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Terminal Velocity and Parachute Area
Scale Model Parachute for Launch Brown Cemetery
Lane Field Younger's Creek 583
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Descent Velocity and Time
Balloon Borne Sonde Wind Speed Data
ejection altitude ft 1000 1007 1437 1354 908 894
descent rate mph 10 12 9 10 12 9
descent rate fps 15 18 13.5 15 18 13.5
descent time s 68.2 57.1 99.9 84.2 47.8 60.8
flight duration s 76.6 65.5 109.5 92.5 56.1 69.6
WKU Rudolph Field Descent Data
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Horizontal Drift Distance Recovery
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Rock-Sim Simulation of Flight
Solid Works Code for Design and modeling prior to
Construction with avionics Digilent payload
Cesaroni L1395 Subscale Engine
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WKU Rudolph Field
6 Launches with Estes C/D Engines Break 1500
ft altitude
Ag Farm 1500 ft x 3500 ft
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Characteristic Flight Data from Six Launches at
Rudolph Field
  alpha bar   Beta Prime   Gamma  
  First Launch Second Launch First Launch Second Launch First Launch Second Launch
Peak altitude ft 1017 1038 1457 1389 934 956
Top speed mph 205 204 272 258 169 163
Burn time s 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8
Peak a during boost g's 19.9 15.1 14.9 12.6 11.2 11.5
average a g's 3.3 3.3 4.4 4.2 2.7 2.7
coast to apogee sec 5.6 5.6 6.8 5.5 5.5 6
apogee to ejection sec -0.1 -0.1 -0.5 -0.5 ? -1
ejection altitude ft 1000 1007 1437 1354 908 894
descent rate mph 10 12 9 10 12 9
descent rate fps 15 18 13.5 15 18 13.5
descent time s 68.2 57.1 99.9 84.2 47.8 60.8
flight duration s 76.6 65.5 109.5 92.5 56.1 69.6
1457 ft
Estes Rockets with C/D engines
Defined Flight Active Zones
WKU Rudolph Field Launch
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3 Subscale Launches ½ Size 2515 ft on 1-6-2013
First Launch Second Launch Third Launch
  Engine J520 SK J580 SS J 357 Blue Streak
peak altitude ft   2450 2515 2094
top speed mph     317 229
brun time secs     1.6 1.8
peak accleration g     17.7 16.3
average a g's     8.9 5.9
cost to apogee secs     10.2 7
apogee ejection time     -2.3 -0.1
ejection altitude     2418 1784
descent rate mph     47 12
descent rate fps     71 18
descent time     33.2 94
flight time     45 102.8
electronics main chute
failure failure
Scale Model Launch Brown Cemetery Lane
Field Younger's Creek 583
Smoothing Coupler For Ejection
Post Flight Scale Model Recovery System
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In conclusion

1. Subscale electronic ejection flight success
   March 9, 2013
2. Full Scale Test Flight launch window March
   16-31- not today
3. Huntsville Flight launch window April 19-21