About Us
The Project: Daedalus Sub-Orbital Hybrid Rocket Program is an attempt to become the first student organization to design and build a sub-orbital sounding rocket.
The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at the University of Central Florida (SEDS-UCF) has undertook in this endeavor to increase knowledge about rocketry, increase advocacy about space exploration, and provide a feasible reusable launch vehicle for scientific projects and research in the long run. Our design is a hybrid (Nitrous Oxide/Polyethylene) single stage booster-dart launch vehicle with onboard video, telemetry and recovery systems.
Current plans include the production of quarter-scale and half-scale hybrid motors, the launch of Daedalus III (full-scale vehicle launch to 250,000 in order to test electronics and communication systems), and the launch of Daedalus IV (breaking the barrier of space). Project: Daedalus is also in an effort to educate students about engineering, aerospace, and rocketry through special advocacy and outreach programs with local elementary and high schools.
Design Heritage and Project History
Project: Daedalus was initially started during the Fall 2004 semester at UCF as a joint venture between the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS-UCF) and Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering (MMAE), with support from the UCF Chapters of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and Amateur Radio Club (ARC). The project was founded in response to an intercollegiate competition called "The Race to Black," sponsored by an organization called JAMSTARS. The goal of this competition was to have a student designed and built rocket achieve a sub-orbital altitude of 62.5 miles, which is the generally accepted "edge of space." Various programs were established to reach this goal, including the Project Icarus Sounding Rocket Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Sub-Orbital Rocket Project (SOAR) at the Florida Institute of Technology.
In 2005, the program was officially taken over by SEDS-UCF as work began on the Daedalus II Rocket. This solid-fuel rocket was successfully launched in January 2006 in Argonia, Kansas. Reaching an altitude of nearly 30,000 feet, it served to verify our mathematical and modeling methods and test various electronics and communication systems. During the Fall 2006 semester, planning was started for the remainder of the program, based upon data collected during previous rocket flights. One major change was the adjustment from using two-stage solid-fuel rockets, to single-stage hybrid (Nitrous Oxide/Polyethylene) rockets, thus officially marking the establishment of the Project: Daedalus Sub-Orbital Hybrid Rocket Program.
Daedalus II Before Launch
About SEDS
The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space is an independent, student-based organization, which promotes the advocacy, the exploration, and development of space. SEDS pursues this mission by educating people about the benefits of space, by supporting a network of interested students, by providing an opportunity for members to develop their leadership skills, and by inspiring people through involvement in space-related projects. SEDS believes in a space-faring civilization and that focusing the enthusiasm of young people is the key to our future in space. As a part of an international organization, the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space of the University of Central Florida (SEDS-UCF) is dedicated to the advancement of space exploration, technology and education. We pursue this endeavor by taking on challenging projects that advance our members understanding of the engineering concepts learned in the classroom.
The SEDS Organization was founded in 1980 at MIT and Princeton and consists of an international group of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students from a diverse range of educational backgrounds who are working to promote space as a whole. SEDS is a chapter-based organization with chapters throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The permanent National Headquarters for SEDS-USA resides at MIT. Each chapter is fairly independent and coordinates activities and projects in its own area.
SEDS provides an excellent environment in which to obtain access to many sources of information including speakers, tours, films, discussion groups & daily NASA updates. Astronomical observing trips and tours of local space facilities also play a significant role in the life of many SEDS members. SEDS members often take the knowledge they have gained and use it to influence the future of the space program. Students at several chapters have played major roles in organizing large conferences and have established important contacts with members of the space community. Others have helped increase public awareness of the benefits of space exploration by offering presentations to local primary and secondary schools as well as universities. Additionally, SEDS provides an environment in which people of common interests can relax and freely discuss issues important to them.