2008 Issue

www.utahengineerscouncil.org 22 small-scale tests. The real core of the rocket program comes with the senior design capstone course where one of the design options is the design and testing of rocket systems. This design class requires that the students design, model, component-test, build, and eventually fly their rocket design in a student launch competition. The senior design course is taught in conjunction with upper-division classes in compressible fluids, spaceflight mechanics, and propulsions. These classes provide the fundamental background that allows the designs to progress. Several graduate students who “cut their teeth” on the senior design course have stayed at USU to pursue graduate research in the areas of rocket systems combustion and performance modeling. This year’s senior design team consists of 16 undergraduate students from three different engineering majors. Each student adds expertise in either mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering and con- tributes directly to the quality of engineering work and the eventual success of the grou. The team is supervised directly by two graduate teaching assistants and one faculty advisor. The team is targeting the NASA-sponsored University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) to be held in late April 2008 near Manchester Tennessee. The primary USLI objective is to engage university students in a learning opportunity that involves design, construction, test, and launch of a reusable launch vehicle and science-related payload. The primary objective of the competition is to deliver a scientific payload to exactly 5280 ft above the local terrain (AGL). The team coming closest to one-mile altitude will be declared “winner” of the launch phase of the competi- tion. Other factors contributing to the overall score will include a final design report, student outreach, student web page design, and perfor- mance in preliminary and critical-design reviews. The USU student design plans to employ deployable airbrakes as a part of a closed-loop control system that will position the rocket apogee at the proscribed one-mile altitude. A series of wind tunnel and ground thrust tests are planned to characterize the rocket impulse and vehicle aerodynamics. Student teammembers are designing a closed-loop navigation/control system. Required flight and ground instrumentation is currently being procured. Money donated by the Utah AIAA chapter is being used in part to facilitate the procurement. The Launch Team AIAA STUDENT PROJECTS — continued