Project Information

• Project Background
• Mission Objectives
• SOAR Organizational Structure
• SOAR Timeline

Project Background

Senior Design Capstone Projects are defining moments in a student’s education. During our last year, we take what we learn in the classroom and apply them to a real life, hands on project. The rocket projects are just one example of this type of opportunity offered to the students. SOAR is the sixth team to join the ranks with its predecessors.

It all started in the year 2000 with a series of rocket projects entitled FITSat I (1999-2000), FITSat II (2000-2001), and FITSat III (2001-2002). These projects included sophisticated payloads and on board planes as part of their objectives.

In the 2001-2002 school year, a second project took hold. JAMSTAR, Joint Aerospace and Meteorology STratosphere Analysis Rocket, was formed. Led by a dedicated and hard working Project Manager, Andy Sokol joined with 7 other students to successfully launch a rocket 83,000 feet in altitude using a solid P motor. The departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering joined with Meteorology to create a dynamic payload to take meteorological data of the atmosphere as part of their mission.

SERRA, Supersonic Experimental Recoverable Rocket Assembly, is the next project aiming to fly higher. Led by a group of dedicated seniors, their aim is to reach the same 100,000 feet as JAMSTAR, but with a Q-hybrid motor. The team also developed a payload package that included capabilities to measure altitude, temperature, pressure, and other critical data. The SERRA rocket is expected to launch sometime in the early fall of 2004.

With all this to look back on, SOAR is aiming to raise the bar for student rocketry projects. With an increased target altitude of 76 miles, the implementation of an on board camera system, and a two-stage solid motor system, SOAR is taking these projects to a place where no student group has gone before.

Mission Objectives

SOAR’s main objective is to fly higher than no previous student rocket project. We are an extremely ambitious, dedicated, and hard working team.

Below, you will find a summary of the goals for the team as a whole, as well as each sub-team where links are provided. Each link will take you to their respective individual pages providing you with detailed explanations about their objectives, status, and news.

The main objectives of the SOAR Team are to design, fabricate, and launch a rocket to “black”, a minimum of 62.5 miles into the Ionosphere. We have set out to hit a target altitude of 76 miles. We aim to recover all rocket components with an overall reusability of 80%. In addition to the main objectives, it is our mission to continue and create relationships with interested professionals in the aerospace industry. We hope to involve the community and corporate America to help make the SOAR Project a reality.

To meet the overall objectives of SOAR, we have broken down our team members into 5 teams. Each of the teams have their own objectives for the project. Along with the summary of their objectices, each link will take you to their individual pages for further information.

Our primary objective is to create a propulsion system that will provide enough thrust to reach our intended altitude with the best overall performance. Utilizing a two-stage solid motor system, a clean separation between the first and second stages is a must. Another objective is to ensure ignition of the second stage during flight to carry us to apogee. Lastly, it is our goal to make our system 100% reusable so that more solid motors can be made for future launches.

SOAR will be facing atmospheric conditions that are known and also ones that are unknown. Stability is a major objective in the design to ensure a safe and successful flight. Weight management is also a vital focus of the team so that the laws of physics do not prevent us from reaching our desired altitude.

The main objective of this team is to integrate and protect SOAR’s payload. To ensure this goal, a structure needs to be built with a complete understanding of materials and aerodynamics. In addition to this, it is very important to maintain a solid interface with the second stage booster during the later part of the ascent and final descent of the rocket’s flight.

There will be a total of 6 electronic systems that PDT will be focused on to create and implement. They include a Main Controller, Transmission, Power, Avionics, Inertial Navigation and Camera systems. All are vital to meet the overall objectives of SOAR.

The primary objective of the SDT is to create a SOAR Rocket Monitor Software (SRMS) system. This will include a 3-D Plug-In to model the rocket’s flight path three-dimensionally.

Organizational Structure

Here is a diagram displaying the structure of our team. We are comprised of 32 students ranging from seniors to freshman. We are a multi-disciplinary group making up the following disciplines: Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Space Sciences.

Please click on the image for a larger view.

SOAR Timeline

• Design rocket to meet objectives.
• Team members train in machine shop to be prepared for fabrication.
• Team members will become Level 1 Certified for NAR (National Association of Rocketry) to gain experience with building rockets.
• Begin to prepare for material procurement necessary for fabrication.
• Raise necessary funds to finance all aspects of project.

• Final design completed.
• Begin material procurement and fabrication.
• Continue any additional fundraising.

• Begin testing of systems.
• Complete fabrication of rocket.
• Continue any additional fundraising.

• Finish testing of all systems.
• Begin to prepare for public events.

• Hold public events and showcases.

• SOAR Launch!
• Write and distribute final report!