Launch Systems and Ground Support Equipment (GSE)

STATUS: Building test stand for static motor tests and acceleration track for electrical equipment testing.

GSE will be dealing with the rocket while it is on the ground. This includes transport from the site of fabrication to the launch site on Wallops Island in Virginia. Ground support consists of 3 main divisions within this subgroup. These are transportation, launch pad design/ fabrication, and ground control. Transportation includes taking the rocket from the university and keeping it stable as we move it from central Florida to Virginia. The launch pad includes retrofitting our rail system on the already provided Loki-class sounding rocket rail launcher. Ground control provides support and power to the rocket while it is still on the ground prior to launch.

Transportation

Our proposed launch site is from the Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia. The task involved with this would be transporting the rocket safely from the University of Central Florida to the flight facility. This involves the cooperation from many separate divisions. The easiest way to transport the rocket would be to built it in smaller modules; vacuum sealing those modules for easier transport. That way we will not have to make sure that the rocket itself in its entirety would have to remain stable, only the separate modules. The modules themselves would be made to be easily put together when we reach our destination. When all goes according to plan, we will assemble the broken down pieces at Wallops and put it on the rail launcher.

Launch Pad Design

Wallops Flight Facility possesses a Loki-class Rail Launcher on their site. We have decided to use this rail launcher for Daedalus. The launcher itself will not fit the Daedalus rocket. Since that is the case, we will be retrofitting the already provided rail to fit our rocket. It will cut out the difficulty of creating our own rail launcher that meets Wallops requirements and also provides the stability and trajectory we need for launch. The Loki launcher will provide the two latter. Our only challenge is obtaining the specifications for the Loki rail launcher system and making it work for Daedalus. This will require ingenuity and creativity on the part of the GSE Division, but it will help with less time fabricating our own launch pad and rail system.

Ground Control

Ground Control covers many aspects of the Ground Support and Equipment Division. This field will be in charge of making sure the rocket is powered while it is on the launcher. Ground support will have to work with the other teams to make sure everything is in accordance and that all the systems will work with each other. Working with the Electrical and Communications Division, we will have to make sure that all of our systems work seamlessly with theirs once we change power over from ground to the rocket itself. This will require us to work with the electrical division and keep each other updated on the type of electrical systems and programming they are using. Ground support will also need to know how much power will need to be supplied before we switch over power. If we do not have enough power then it may drain some of the onboard power and cause the battery or power source on the rocket to expire during flight or before launch. If we provide too much power, some of the circuits may overheat which may cause some systems to fail.

The other part of ground control will be working with the Propulsion team. Daedalus is a hybrid rocket which means it will be part liquid and part solid fueling. We are going to be working with a hybrid of Nitrous Oxide and Polyethylene in our booster. We need to be able to fuel the rocket prior to launch without the propellants mixing or igniting before it is time to launch the sounding rocket.

We plan on a full recovery of Daedalus and without careful coordination between teams and divisions, this will be most likely impossible. Therefore, it is imperative that we work closely together throughout the development stages so that we are able to create the rocket in the fashion we have designed and proposed.

Team Members and Contact Info

Mark Bacal, Division Lead
Civil Engineering
mark.bacal@gmail.com

Kristyn Englar, Physics

Ignacio Minana, Civil Engineering

Darrell Zimmer, Civil Engineering