Rocket Prototype
Hardware- 11 Devlogs
- 42 Total hours
Building a rocket from scratch…but I don’t know anything, yet!
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!
Thank you for making the requested changes! This looks great and I am excited to see it fly. Take videos and post it to the #rocketry channel!!
This looks great! Design looks stable and everything. Good job! I have two things before we can approve:
1. We currently don't fund rocket motors! You will have to supply that yourself.
2. Make sure to have vent holes in your nosecone for your flight computer! Otherwise the barometer won't be able to function.
That's all! Keep up the good work.
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!
