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OVERVIEW

Our mission is to advance vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) technology at the collegiate level.

PSP-AC is a research and development team that aims to advance active control technology. With the advent of propulsive landing in the private space sector, actively controlling a rocket’s position and orientation has been proven to be vital for the rapid reusability of orbital and suborbital rockets. The Active Controls team consists of multiple subteams that take on a certain aspect of this multifaceted project. These subteams include Structures and Propulsion, Guidance Navigation & Controls and Avionics. We encourage students from all backgrounds to join the effort and find the subteam that they are most interested in.

Projects

Project ASTRA:  2021 – 2024

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Project Tadpole:  2021 – 2024

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SUBTEAMS

Avionics

The Avionics Team is dedicated to the design, programming, and fabrication of our projects’ flight computers, battery systems, and control mechanisms.

Structures & Propulsion

The Sructures and Propulsion Team designs and builds the physical structure and propulsion system for Active Controls. This includes the research and development of our thrust vector control system, thrust stand, and EDF propulsion method.

Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC)

The GNC Team is developing the kinematic model of our thrust vector control system, as well as the controller that will orient the craft in flight. This includes developing advanced mathematical models, trajectory generation, and statistical Kalman filters.

Team Leads

Atharv Bhatter

Project Manager

Grant Williams

Chief Engineer

Rusty Willis

Systems Lead

Otto Rahmel

Business Lead

Subteam Leads

Xander Beal

Avionics Lead

Stathis Kokkevis

Propulsion Lead

Rugved Dikay

Fluid Systems Lead

Anuv Dhariwal

Manufacturing Lead

Ishan Goel

GNC Co-Lead

Vincent Palmerio

GNC Co-Lead

SUPPORTERS
Emus

Emus

June 15, 2023

Altium

Altium

September 5, 2022

PESC

PESC

February 8, 2021

Purdue University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Purdue University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

February 29, 2020

Sponsorship

Interested in supporting us?

Learn more about how you can partner with us in our sponsorship information packet.

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