Hoo-Rizon 1: Subscale Sounding Rocket; Space Industry, Economics, and the Role of Government

The United States space industry is known as an industry built upon innovation and autonomy. One might believe that this innovation is a matter of a growing industry that spans between the private and public sectors. However, the space industry is riddled with regulations that prevent growth and is either directly or indirectly funded by the government. Therefore, it is a field that is highly restrictive and heavily influenced by the government. For our capstone, we try to address this problem by allowing easier access to the space industry by detailing how to build a small-scale sounding rocket– a rocket designed to measure atmospheric conditions. In my Science, Technology, and Society (STS) research paper, I also analyze why this industry has slowed. This capstone initiative will allow easier access to this industry by removing the educational learning curve, explaining the regulations to help comply with laws, and introducing resources to buy parts. By doing this, it will allow greater access to aerospace as an industry by simplifying the complexity of developing the rocket. This is incredibly important since the resources available to develop this technology are often restricted due to the regulations and learning curve involved in this process. Similarly, by the end of the capstone, our group will have built a complete small sounding rocket, therefore, allowing the sponsor, the University of Virginia, to display and showcase our work as students. Finally, all plans will be open source, and our knowledge will be there for any prospective aerospace student or space industry enthusiast. It is important that this framework is available to those wanting this information because it breaks down the human and social dimensions of this technology by allowing greater access to information within this field. To understand this restrictive field, it is helpful to review this through the STS framework of Technological Politics. Technological Politics, proposed by Langdon Winner, suggests that technologies have the effect of creating power and injustice, which often influence power dynamics. Certain technologies in themselves have political properties, and the space industry is defined by technologies that need to be reviewed by the government since they are a concern to homeland security. The specific problem our team visited was how to make the space industry more accessible. Throughout the journey of developing this framework, our team discovered that Technological Politics does dominate the space industry, as we found that many procedures and plans were hindered due to engine testing and receiving permits to launch and test. I believe that this capstone project defines a true analysis and procedure to help all those interested in this space industry and explains how there are many moving parts in developing an aerospace project. In the following STS research paper, I describe how government regulation and economics prevent aerospace innovation and how this prevents prospective students from entering this field. By developing this project and creating this procedure, it will allow others to get more involved with this industry.