Rocketry Planet

WALLOPS ISLAND, Virginia USA — A group of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students are spending their spring break in an attempt to make history. The group have planned, designed, fabricated, tested and are now preparing to launch their own suborbital rocket named Icarus.

Launching from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, the two-stage Icarus rocket is projected to reach an altitude of 40 miles. If all performs as designed, the 16-foot tall rocket will set an altitude record for a university-built vehicle.

The Icarus rocket is scheduled for launch on Thursday, March 22, between 5AM and 8AM EDT, with 6AM to 9AM, March 23, as a backup date. The booster consists of a 6.0" diameter 'baby Q,' staging to a 4.5" diameter 'O' motor, both utilizing ammonium perchlorate composite propellant, with the 'O' motor being head-end ignited, controlled by a NASA-certified capacitive discharge system. The propulsion system was built by Loki Research's Jeff Taylor and Darren Wright.

"The Embry-Riddle student designed rocket is the most complex student project we have supported to date," said Phil Eberspeaker, chief of NASA's Sounding Rockets Program Office. "NASA subjects these student rockets to the same scrutiny as a NASA sounding rocket to ensure the flight can be conducted in a safe manner."

The 15-pound payload on the rocket contains a number of electronics projects, including accelerometers, spin sensors and pressure sensors. The students will also use global positioning satellite (GPS) systems to determine the location of the rocket during its flight.

Project Icarus was founded in the fall of 2003 by the Embry-Riddle Future Space Explorers' and Developers' Society, of which Icarus is the society's flagship vehicle. The purpose of the mission is to combine classroom knowledge with hands-on experience in rocketry and engineering.

"The Embry-Riddle students have shown a lot of professionalism in the development of their student rocket," Eberspeaker said. "That professionalism, mixed with 80% rocket science and a little bit of luck, should lead to a safe and successful flight." 

The Embry-Riddle project is one of several university student design activities being supported by the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. According to NASA, these projects develop critical skills and capabilities needed to support science research and the vision for space exploration.

Documents:

• ERAU Project Icarus Critical Design Review (716KB Adobe PDF)
• ERAU Project Icarus Mission Readiness Review (420KB Adobe PDF)

Students performed booster fin-cant checks... ...as well as sustainer fin-cant checks.

Rolling the Icarus into the assembly building... ...and then heaving it up onto the rail.

All the way to bottom, boys... ...Yup, that looks about just right.

The assembly building is rolled away... ...and the Icarus is elevated into position.

Icarus, ready to ride the rail of fire... ...first launch window, 5AM March 22, 2007.

Reader comments:

#1

How dare you use this announcement to pimp Rocketry Planet on the [TRA> list??????????



tongue firmly in cheek.

DumasBro2 on 03-22-2007 07:17 AM

#2

Quote:

How dare you use this announcement to pimp Rocketry Planet on the TRA list??????????

It's a new feature, called "Pimp My Site". I did ask for everyone to be gentle though. Don't want to go making Davey mad or anything...

This was received from Jeff Taylor this morning:

The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student built rocket "Icarus" was launched from Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Virgina shortly after 6am on 3/22/07. The flight was nominal and initial data put the maximum altitude achieved between 180,000 and 210,000 feet. An excellent skin track radar report shows the first stage booster reaching an apogee of 23,100 feet and hitting the impact zone within one sigma. Both the students and the Wallops flight crew were thrilled with the results and are looking to future projects.

Photos and video to follow.

Jeff Taylor and Darren Wright
Loki Research, LLC

ddmobley on 03-22-2007 07:47 AM

#3

Quote:

Photos and video to follow.

Jeff Taylor and Darren Wright
Loki Research, LLC

I cannot wait!

How high of an altitude waiver did they get?

Raider Rocketry on 03-22-2007 03:34 PM

#4

Quote:

I cannot wait!

How high of an altitude waiver did they get?

Perhaps launching from a NASA site means you don't need a waiver. Still from the TRA forum it sounds like they had to do a whole bunch of other hoop-jumping. I think Darren is going to describe it after he gets some rest.

Darren and Jeff deserve a whole bunch of the credit and praise. Of course so do the students, the instructors, and the NASA personnel. Great job!

Steve_Shannon on 03-22-2007 09:49 PM

#5

SWEET! Nice job Guy's ---------------Video------------------

sandmantoy on 03-22-2007 10:01 PM

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