The Orbiter: Pushing the Boundaries of Conventional Amateur Rocketry

Each amateur rocket has a defining feature or responsibility for being flown, whether it is meant to test avionics, be flight certified, or act as proof of concept. The Orbiter, due to its unique design and requirements, was designed as a proof-of-concept rocket. The requirements stated as: The Orbiter shall have 80% of the parts be self-built, it shall meet all rules set by the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) pertaining to a Level 2 rocket and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements, and the rocket shall reach a minimum apogee of 10,000 feet. [YM1] Since these requirements are quite intensive, extensive planning and analysis was done before manufacturing. Trade analyses were utilized to select the materials, motor, and recovery system. Open Rocket was used for basic simulation of the rocket during its flight. For an in-depth simulation of The Orbiter flight, MATLAB was used. To help with the material selection and determining the drag force throughout the flight, ANSYS static structural and CFD was utilized. Manufacturing began once the necessary preparation had been done. While the primary goal of The Orbiter is to push the boundary of conventional amateur rocketry, it was also designed as a way for future readers to acquire knowledge and be able to improve upon the errors made. [YM1]combine