Experimental Rockets

Fin assmbly for the experimental rocket

   As I was leading Tufts Rocketry's NAR certification team, I also contributed to the more experimental rocket the rocketry team was designing from scratch. This rocket was to have "dual deploy" capability, or the ability to fire a drogue parachute and a main parachute from its onboard flight computer.
   For this project I was in charge of the nose cone; I researched nose cone shapes and designed a nose cone in SolidWorks which was 3D printed by HP labs. I also designed and fabricated the assembly which held the fins together and housed the rocket motor. I CADed this assembly in SolidWorks, and then lasercut it from masonite boards. During flight, the fins successfully controlled the rocket's ascent. The rocket ultimately crashed due to a problem with the parachute, but my fin assembly was the only structure to survive intact.

   During my sophomore year, I also designed the fin assembly for our experimental 2-stage rocket. I completely changed the design and made it more robust while also removing mass and making it more easily manufacturable.

Rockets layed out before flight
Preparing the dual-deploy rocket

The team preparing the rockets on launch day.

Updated design of the fin assembly

Updated fin assembly design for the 2-stage rocket.