The Rocket
METER-01, the first rocket developed and built in-house, is intended to serve as a starting point and reference for further projects. For this reason, and to counteract any nasty surprises during production at an early stage, the focus throughout the process is on a simple and straightforward design.
All of the rocket’s structural components are manufactured in-house.
In addition to a self-laminated tube made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP), the structure is mainly made of aircraft plywood. More complex parts such as the tip of the rocket or brackets for the electronics are 3D-printed using the FDM process.
The three fins attached to the lower end of the rocket for aerodynamic stabilization are made from an aircraft plywood core, and to improve the aerodynamic properties, glued-on fairings with an aerofoil profile are attached.
A commercial solid-fuel engine from Aerotech (H73J) with an average thrust of 73 newtons is used for propulsion.
In order to be able to recover the rocket undamaged after the flight, a parachute is housed in the tip of the rocket.
The highest point of the flight path and therefore the ideal time to deploy the parachute is determined using the EasyMega commercial flight computer from AltusMetrum. In addition to this, a sensor board for measuring pressure and acceleration developed in-house is installed to lay the foundation for future systems.
Project Data
- Project duration: October 2023 – August 2024
- Length: 1,3m
- Diameter: 80mm
- Take-off weight: 1,5kg
- Flight altitude: 400m
- Maximum speed: 0,25 Mach
The Launchrail
In addition to the rocket, a launch pad, known as a launch rail in technical jargon, is required for a successful launch. Here, too, the focus is on simplicity of design, which is why a tried-and-tested concept from TU Wien is being adapted and adapted to our specific needs.
The stage truss structure results in a stable yet flexible design that can be set up and dismantled with little effort. Safety against tipping sideways is increased by bracing.
A construction profile from ITEM is used as a guide rail in which the rocket glides, which is attached to the stage crossbeam. The length of 3m ensures that the rocket has sufficient speed and also provides some reserve for larger and heavier rockets.
The Launch
On August 31, the time had finally come.
As part of the flight day organized by the Raketenmodellsportgemeinschaft (RAMOG e.V.), our rocket took off from the fields near Buttenwiesen at 14:08 sharp and shot into the sky. The parachute was deployed at apogee as planned. About two minutes later, the rocket was back on solid ground under the aft cone and could be recovered undamaged.
With a flight altitude of around 350m, we fell slightly short of expectations, but the launch can still be considered a complete success. This has laid the foundation for many more rockets and developments.
The Team
- Matthias Rehm: Projekt Management | Systems Engineering
- Lukas Galli: Aerodynamics | Recovery System
- Maximilian Streit: Recovery System | Manufacturing
- Florian Christl: Design | Manufacturing
- Harald Brenner: Electronics | Manufacturing
- Maximilian Stephan: Electronics | Manufacturing
- Patrick Glöckner: Electronics
- Jean-Carl Keller: Launchrail