Categories:
Aerospace
Academic
Date:
2025-2026
Tools and software used:
SOLIDWORKS
Objective Problem:
Successfully simulate and launch a rocket capable of having successive staging of motors with both stages being recoverable.
Completely design in CAD and simulate with Open Rocket
Assembly information:
Collision simulations were done to properly mate together parts
Each part is constrained to separate with taper to minimize drag
Constraints:
Limited student research has been done with successive motor deployment with full electronic recovery systems in both stages.
My Contribution:
Laid the groundwork
Foundations
Defined Scope of the project
Created the preliminary CAD drawings
Simulated OpenRocket before the project was further developed to include a dual deployment system.
—Pending further development on this project—
Team Description:
Initially alone. This project will now be worked on by a team from Rocket Club including myself.
Engineering Design Process:
A tapered design inspired by Saturn V reduces mass towards the upper stages. This was chosen to give the smaller upper-stage motor a higher thrust-to-weight ratio (TWR).
Initial design was only with an electronic dual-deployment system. Project has transitioned into a dual recovery two stage rocket.
Cad and analysis:
The entire base and single stage of the rocket has been modeled in SOLIDWORKS.
Fabrication Process:
Nosecone tip was created using a CNC Lathe out of aluminum.
Nosecone was made out of CF-PLA
Fins were cut from Baltic Birch Plywood
Next Steps:
Need to redesign CAD file to reflect current ambitions to fly with two stages.