NASA USLI Rocket Competition

1. NASA USLI Rocket Competition Kolton Jones, Daniel Jones, Timothy Bucklew, Owen Gaul Mariel Shumate, Keith Andrew Physics and Astronomy Western Kentucky University • National Collegiate Competition to launch and return safely a rocket with a • NASA payload to a height of 1 mile. • Engage students of all levels in science • University • High School • Middle School • National Recruitment • PR for NASA and STEM

2. May 2012- April 2013 NASA Student Launch Teams (University/College) 1. Alabama A&M University -- Normal, Ala.2. California Polytechnic Pomona -- Pomona, Calif.3. Century College -- White Bear Lake, Minn.4. Citrus College -- Glendora, Calif.5. Clark College -- Vancouver, Wash.6. Florida A&M University -- Tallahassee, Fla.7. Georgia Institute of Technology -- Atlanta, Ga.8. Harper College -- Palatine, Ill.9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- Cambridge, Mass.10. Mississippi State University -- Starkville, Miss.11. New Mexico State University -- Las Cruces, N.M.12. North Carolina State University -- Raleigh, N.C.13. Northwest Indian College -- Bellingham, Wash.14. Northwestern University -- Evanston, Ill.15. Pennsylvania State University -- University Park, Pa.16. Purdue University -- West Lafayette, Ind.17. Santa Fe College -- Gainesville, Fla.18. Tarleton State University -- Stephenville, Texas19. University of Alabama -- Tuscaloosa, Ala.20. University of Alabama in Huntsville -- Huntsville, Ala.21. University of California Davis -- Davis, Calif.22. University of Central Florida -- Orlando, Fla.23. University of Florida -- Gainesville, Fla.24. University of Illinois Urbana Champaign -- Champaign, Ill.25. University of Louisville -- Louisville, Ky.26. University of Minnesota -- Minneapolis, Minn.27. University of Nebraska -- Lincoln, Neb.28. University of New Hampshire -- Durham, N.H.29. University of North Carolina Charlotte -- Charlotte, N.C.30. University of North Dakota -- Grand Forks, N.D.31. University of Notre Dame -- South Bend, Ind.32. University of South Alabama -- Mobile, Ala.33. Vanderbilt University -- Nashville, Tenn.34. Virginia Tech -- Blacksburg, Va.35. Western Kentucky University -- Bowling Green, Ky.36. Windward Community College -- Kaneohe, Hawaii

3. WKU Vette City Rocket Plans • Design, Budget, Outreach and Testing • Subscale Testing at WKU Rudolf Field: 6 launches, try for 1500 ft • Half Scale Testing at Cemetery Field: 3 Launches, try for ½ mile: 2640 ft • Charge Subscale Testing at E-Field: 1 Launch • Full Scale Test at C-Field: 1 Launch – 1mile • Huntsville Launch in April: 1 Launch – 1mile 11 Month Project Current: 43.5 lbs, 7.25 ft, 8.0” diameter NASA Check in every two months Budget: Max. Rocket and Payload $5k Cost of full scale engine: $350 Motor Choice: Aerotech L1420R Students must do 100% of work Licensed Engine Mentor: Level 3 NAR D. Hanks Team Name: Vette City Rocket Mailing Address: 1906 College Heights #11077 Name of Mentor: Darryl Hanks Level 3 NAR certification NASA words of advice: please make a stable rocket.

4. WKU Vette City Sponsors Computer Coding Solutions Games to Web Design Nashville Road Bowling Green, KY ACE Electrical Engineering Microprocessors, Boards, PCs NASA KY Space Grant UK, EPSCoR Randolph, Hale & Meredith, Inc. Industrial Suppliers: Medical, Mechanical, Display 319 State Street /P.O. Box 1217 Bowling Green, KY. 42101 Phone (270) 781-1462 Fax (270) 781-1524  Web Site: www.randolph-electronic.com E-Mail: sales@randolph-electronic.com General Motors Corvettes in BG Design and Distribution of Microchips Corporate HeadquartersMicrochip Technology Inc.2355 West Chandler Blvd.Chandler, Arizona, USA 85224-6199(480) 792-7200 Creating Robotic Solutions Interface, applications, controllers

6. Dynamic Stability: CP is below CG SHM about CG due to torques acting at CP damped harmonic motion

7. Drift Field Parameters Consider a rocket in open parachute recovery mode at altitude h, with descent velocity v in the presence of a horizontal wind. The rocket will drift a distance d from the location of parachute opening. To find the drift distance we will: Scale model test launch at WKU Rudolph Field • Use Newton’s Laws of motion to relate the drag force to the weight • and terminal speed of the rocket • 2. Estimate the drag force in terms of the drag coefficient and parachute area • 3. Determine the descent velocity given the parachute area at terminal speed • 4. Relate this to the total time of descent • 5. Model various drift distances for a given horizontal wind speed • 6. Fit parameters and estimates from flight data • 7. Develop a rapid calculation rule consistent with the detailed analysis

8. Newton’s Second Law of Motion Descent Velocity During Recovery y F-drag g=9.8m/s2 x W=mg Small safe recovery v~2.5 m/s Larger rocket, higher h, v~ 5 m/s Typical Drag Forces: 12.54 N < F < 18.5 N

9. Frictional Drag Force in a Fluid Humidity and Altitude

10. Terminal Velocity and Parachute Area Scale Model Parachute for Launch Brown Cemetery Lane Field Younger's Creek 583

11. Descent Velocity and Time Balloon Borne Sonde Wind Speed Data WKU Rudolph Field Descent Data

12. Horizontal Drift Distance – Recovery

13. Rock-Sim Simulation of Flight Solid Works Code for Design and modeling prior to Construction with avionics Digilent payload Cesaroni L1395 Subscale Engine

14. WKU Rudolph Field 6 Launches with Estes C/D Engines Break 1500 ft altitude Ag Farm: 1500 ft x 3500 ft

15. Characteristic Flight Data from Six Launches at Rudolph Field 1457 ft Estes Rockets with C/D engines Defined Flight Active Zones WKU Rudolph Field Launch

16. 3 Subscale Launches: ½ Size: 2515 ft on 1-6-2013 Scale Model Launch Brown Cemetery Lane Field Younger's Creek 583 Smoothing Coupler For Ejection Post Flight Scale Model Recovery System

17. In conclusion: • Subscale electronic ejection flight success: March 9, 2013 • Full Scale Test Flight: launch window March 16-31- not today • Huntsville Flight: launch window April 19-21