Spaceport America Cup Rocket
Faculty Mentor Name
Mark Benton Sr.
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
The world of rocketry has exploded over the course of the last decade. Many different companies bring their own ideas and approaches to launching rockets into orbit. Despite this, suborbital or “sounding” rockets are still an integral part of the scientific landscape due to their unique ability to carry small experiments and payloads to high atmosphere environments on a significantly reduced budget. This category of rocket is well tailored to the budget and experience of many collegiate teams, driving consistent competition and cooperation within the demographic. This spirit is no better exemplified than in the Spaceport America Cup (SAC). The competition runs over the length of the academic year as students design, build, and test their rockets for the final week, where they are launched at Spaceport America in New Mexico for scoring. The team’s score will be based on a multitude of factors including report writing, design choices, sportsmanship, and their ability to design a rocket to reach a maximum altitude as close to the target as possible. The team is competing in the category with altitude target of 10,000 feet. The rocket has been designed utilizing a rocket trajectory analysis software such as OpenRocket and RasAero II. These tools help the team optimize design choices such as weight distribution and aerodynamics for optimal fine tuning of maximum altitude. In addition, each rocket needs to carry either a functional or inert 8.8 pound payload. The rocket hopes to demonstrate the ability for rockets on campus to livestream video through the payload being designed for it. This will allow future student rocketry projects to better broadcast their work to the world and show off their progress.
Spaceport America Cup Rocket
The world of rocketry has exploded over the course of the last decade. Many different companies bring their own ideas and approaches to launching rockets into orbit. Despite this, suborbital or “sounding” rockets are still an integral part of the scientific landscape due to their unique ability to carry small experiments and payloads to high atmosphere environments on a significantly reduced budget. This category of rocket is well tailored to the budget and experience of many collegiate teams, driving consistent competition and cooperation within the demographic. This spirit is no better exemplified than in the Spaceport America Cup (SAC). The competition runs over the length of the academic year as students design, build, and test their rockets for the final week, where they are launched at Spaceport America in New Mexico for scoring. The team’s score will be based on a multitude of factors including report writing, design choices, sportsmanship, and their ability to design a rocket to reach a maximum altitude as close to the target as possible. The team is competing in the category with altitude target of 10,000 feet. The rocket has been designed utilizing a rocket trajectory analysis software such as OpenRocket and RasAero II. These tools help the team optimize design choices such as weight distribution and aerodynamics for optimal fine tuning of maximum altitude. In addition, each rocket needs to carry either a functional or inert 8.8 pound payload. The rocket hopes to demonstrate the ability for rockets on campus to livestream video through the payload being designed for it. This will allow future student rocketry projects to better broadcast their work to the world and show off their progress.