Rocket Design, Construction, and Launch
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The Project
We were tasked with designing, building and launching a rocket that would fly to 13000 ft and break the sound barrier. We were divided into teams of 3 and given one component of the rocket to accomplish, my team was assigned the recovery system.
My Approach
We were assigned with the recovery system, building the bulkheads, and purchasing/making the parachute and shock cords. To inspire us we looked over NASA blueprints, and technical drawings made by former years. We also had to work carefully on calculations, as the type of parachute needed, when it would deploy, and force needed to withstand it all depended on the structure and weight of the rest of the rocket.
Bumps in the road
Due to the dependency on the rest of the rocket's components, the calculations and drawings needed to change nearly daily with the changes in structure and weight of the rest of the rocket, due to components weighing slightly differently, materials changing, and dimensions changing.
Finished product
In the end we successfully constructed the bulkheads and shock cords, and purchased a fitting parachute to successfully recover the rocket
Lessons Learned/What I would do differently
I learned a lot about the necessary teamwork and communication, with so many constant changes, had there been less communication it would likely have failed, simply due to differing figures in calculations or dimensions.