The Student Launch team participates in a 9-month long challenge conducted by NASA. This team builds, tests, and launches a high-powered rocket with a payload challenge that changes each year. The final launch in Huntsville, Alabama, brings teams in from around the country to see how their launch vehicle fares against others.

We have three subteams that work together to build the launch vehicle: Construction, Avionics & Recovery, and Payload. Additionally, we also have leads who are in charge of the team as a whole. The Student Launch team must submit multiple design reviews throughout the year to NASA, including a Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, Flight Readiness Review, and Launch Readiness Review.

Construction

The construction team is responsible for the design, testing, simulation, and construction of the launch vehicle. By primarily using OpenRocket, Simulink, Solidworks, and ANSYS, the construction team is able to do multiple simulations online and fully design the vehicle before bringing it to life. Every component of the launch vehicle is modeled, except for payload and avionic components. The rocket is constructed at the Bechtel Innovation and Design Center on the Purdue campus and as well as the Purdue Technology Center.

Avionics and Recovery

The avionics team is responsible for the safe recovery of the launch vehicle and obtaining flight data. For recovery, the avionics team uses a drogue and a main parachute, and also uses Simulink and Python for prediction models, simulations, and algorithms. Research, design, documentation, and testing is done heavily with associated technology and the parachutes.

Payload

The payload team is responsible for the development of the payload challenge given by NASA. Each year, NASA gives the Student Launch teams a payload challenge, such as using an autonomous camera system, using a radio transmission system, or using a probe for transmitting coordinates. As the payload changes every competition, this team learns various technical skills.