HPRC 2019-20

In my freshman year at WPI, I joined the Payload Division of the school’s High Power Rocketry Club which takes part in NASA’s University Student Launch Initiative competition each year. Although I knew very little about CAD (let alone almost nothing about SolidWorks), I was able to learn quickly by working on the design for the subscale mockup of that year’s payload retention system. I designed the sled-pusher system which served to push the payload sled, where the UAV payload would sit during launch, out of the rocket’s airframe once it successfully landed on the ground under parachute. The main mechanism was a leadscrew coupled to a motor, which was used to produce the linear motion necessary for the pusher system. Once the design was finished and reviewed, we went on to prototype the system with mostly laser cut plywood plates and a few 3D printed plastic parts. The subscale retention system was tested and found to work mostly as desired and after that, I helped with designing the full-scale version. In the full-scale version, I worked mostly on the driver system which was responsible for interfacing the motor and the leadscrew, along with housing most of the payload electronics. Below is a photo of the fully assembled payload retention system for the full-scale vehicle.

I 3D printed various parts, both designed by me and by others, while also verifying their ability to function as intentioned. Additionally, I learned how to use the lathe and had the opportunity to make some adapter parts for the driver section along with some threaded standoffs needed for rapid prototyping of the UAV. Below is a picture of the motor-leadscrew interface section of the driver with one of the adapter parts I made on the lathe.

A less exciting (but equally important) task I also helped out with is documentation of payload systems. NASA requires us to provide extensive documentation of our project throughout the various processes of proposal, design, manufacturing, etc. and the great thing about that is that it provides each team member an opportunity to gain experience writing the kind of documentation that will one day be required when working in industry.

09/2019 – 05/2020