Saturn Explorer Post 1010
Engineering Exploring Program
Launch - March 12, 2017
Cassini Spacecraft 

Project Home

On Saturday, March 12, members from both teams traveled to the Great Meadow Virginia launch site for qualification flights. The day was partially cloudy, around 40 degrees, but little wind. We got off 7 flights. We used the site's launch rails.

Objectives

  • One qualification flight for the Red/White/Blue rocket at 400g with an E20-7.
  • One qualification flight for the Pink rocket at 312g with an E12-6.
  • Test the pink backup rocket.

Lessons

  • The red rocket performed nicely for the two test flights, and the pink rocket performed nicely for the single test flight.
  • The new pink rocket had nice altitude, bur a problem with the deployment of the chute. A fin broke and needs repair.
  • The red rocket qualification flight had the chute and streamer tangled, finally deployed, but landed in a tree.
  • The pink qualification flight had a problem with the altimeter (not turned on?).
  • The official qualification flight was too heavy and did not reach a good altitude.
  • No eggs broken and no lost rockets.
  • We prepared the site's launch rail by cleaning, lubricating, and pointing with the wind. We used the same rail for all of the red rocket flights and the same for all the pink rocket flights.
  • We need to do better for the final qualification flights.
Red Rocket Pink Rocket New Pink Rocket

Launches

Team Rocket Flight Motor Weight Alt Recovery Altitude Time Comment
2661 Pink (video) 1 E12-6 315g 11 12", 4x40" 808ft 52sec Nice flight
2661 Pink (video) 2 E12-6 328g 11 12", 4x40" ?ft 38sec No altimeter data, failed qualification attempt
2661 Pink (video) 3 E12-6 334g 10 12", 4x40" 684ft 38.19 sec Qualification 1, way too low,
Score 104.24
2661 PinkNew
(no video)
1 E12-6 333g? 11 12", 6x60" 796ft 49sec Chutes didn't fully deploy, fin broke
2662 Red (video) 1 E20-7W 399g 10 14", 4x40" 837ft 51sec Nice flight, little too high
2662 Red (video) 2 E20-7W 423g 10 14", 4x40" 782ft 36sec Nice flight, descent too fast
2662 Red (video) 3 E20-7W 426g 10 14", 4x40" 768ft 27.65sec Qualification 1, stutter ignition, chute snagged on streamer, landed in tree
Score 60.38

Altimeter Data (Excel format)
Altimeter Data Chart Red Rocket

Altimeter Data Chart Pink Rocket

Pictures

 Team 2661                                                                                 Team 2662
  Team 2661   Team 2662

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Copyright 2017 Explorer Post 1010
Updated: March 14, 2017