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.
Every structural component of the rocket is manufactured in-house.
In addition to a self-laminated tube made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), many structural components are made of aircraft plywood. More complex parts, such as the tip of the rocket (nosecone) or the electronics tower, are 3D-printed using the FDM process.
The three fins attached to the tail of the rocket serve for aerodynamic stabilization during ascent. They are made from an aircraft plywood core, and to improve the aerodynamic properties, glued-on fairings with an airfoil profile.
A commercial solid-state motor from Aerotech (H73J) with an average thrust of 73 N is used for propulsion.
In order to be able to recover the rocket undamaged after the flight, a parachute is housed in the nosecone 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, 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: 1.3 m
- Diameter: 80 mm
- Take-off weight: 1.5 kg
- Maximum height: 400 m
- Maximum speed: 0.25 Mach
The Launchrail
For guidance and an early stabilization of the rocket resulting in a successful launch, a launch rail is necessary. As for the rocket itself, the development is focused on simplicity of design; for that reason, a proven concept from TU Wien is used 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.
An ITEM construction profile is used as a guide rail in which the rocket glides; it is attached to the stage truss structure. The length of 3 m allows a sufficient speed of the rocket at the launch rail’s tip 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 350 m, we fell slightly short of expectations, but the launch can still be considered a total 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