VCM (Vertical Cruise Missile) 2009 NASA USLI Rocket Competition
Last Updated: 5/08/2009
2008/2009 NASA USLI Competition
As described on the NASA website: the NASA University Student Launch Initiative, or USLI, is a competition that challenges university-level students to design, build and fly a reusable rocket with scientific payload to one mile in altitude. The project engages students in scientific research and real-world engineering processes with NASA engineers. Students propose to participate in USLI during the fall. Once selected, teams design their rocket and payload throughout the school year. USLI requires a NASA review of the teams’ preliminary and critical designs. The project also requires flight readiness and safety reviews before the rockets and payloads are approved for launch. After launch, teams complete a final report to include conclusions from their science experiment and the overall flight performance. The Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, and Flight Readiness Review are conducted by panels of scientists and engineers from NASA and from NASA contactors and external partners.
Under the supervision of Daedalus Team Leads AJ Colangelo and Matt Summers, thirteen members from the Daedalus student rocket group wrote a proposal to participate in the competition. In November of 2008 the proposal was accepted. The following links are the initial proposal [edit: initial proposal taken off of web] , preliminary design review (PDR), critical design review (CDR), flight readiness review (FRR), and post-launch assessment review (PLAR), respectively.
- Daedalus NASA USLI Preliminary Design Review
- Daedalus NASA USLI Critical Design Review
- Daedalus NASA USLI Critical Design Review Presentation (10.4 MB)
- Daedalus NASA USLI Flight Readiness Review
- Daedalus NASA USLI Flight Readines Review Presentation (10.4 MB)
- Daedalus NASA USLI Post Flight Assessment Review
Proceeding the Critical Design Review and initial investigations, further testing and analysis were performed of multiple aspects of VCM, from its student built flight computer to entire vehicle for a dynamic test launch.
The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) was completed while in Huntsville, AL for the competition, and everything went quite smoothly. Following the LRR, our team along with the other 18 university teams, headed out to the launch site. It was here that our VCM rocket obtained a maximum altitude of 5,293 feet -- a mere 13 feet above the desired 1 mile mark. As such our we were awarded with the Closest to Altitude Award. The rocket performed just as we had expected, and we're looking forward to taking VCM to the next phase of it's life as a stand-alone rocket, and a second stage to our rebuilt DARTS rocket. Read all about it in our recent NEWS UPDATE, complete with pictures and video. The following Post Flight Assessment Review contains all of our flight summary, results, and conclusions based on the competition.
2009 ESRA Intercollegiate Rocket Competition
For the "basic" competition at the 2009 ESRA Intercollegiate Rocket Competition, we decided to just fly VCM. Despite having flown the VCM rocket twice before this competition the team still encountered a rather severe problem. The only real difference from this flight compared to the other two was the use of a larger M-motor and some more ballast weight to get the payload weight up to 10lbs (per competition rules). However, the only real place to put the extra weight was near the already heavy motor. As such, VCM was not expected to have much CG travel. This was a bit of a problem since the fins are placed eight inches from the bottom of the rocket, so stability became an issue. The rocket still had one caliber of stability but was not expected to improve as the motor burned.
Our first attempt to launch VCM was halted due to high winds. So much in fact that the wind measuring device that CSULB brought had broken and sent a small weather balloon attached to a line a mile downrange. We waited out the worst of the winds but it never really died down to speeds I was comfortable with. Unfortunately we were on a time crunch so we had to launch anyway; not our best decision.
The launch went relatively smoothly, but there was a bit of wobbling. And then right near burnout the rocket took a turn for the worst, literally. As you can see in the video something went wrong and sent the rocket into an immediate horizontal trajectory. At this point the parachutes deployed, but miraculously the rocket was hardly damaged. Only a small two inch tear in the fiberglass coupling tube that was fixed promptly. The cause of failure was likely a combination of the bad weather, the poor stability, and our nosecone tip. The nosecone tip was cut off earlier in the year to make room for an RTD thermocouple and a pressure transducer. It was glued back on and survived just fine at the NASA USLI competition. However a more powerful motor and bit of wobbling was just enough to shear it off, sending us into a wild trajectory. But again, not much damage to the rocket so VCM lives to see another day. No awards though. :-(
Video: VCM ESRA 2009 launch