Concept Level Project Plan P09102 – METEOR Stage Separation System JJ Guerrette (ME)

*Project Overview Project Name Stage Separation System (SSS) Project Number P09102 Project Family METEOR family of projects Track Aerospace Systems Technology Start Term 2008-TBD End Term Faculty Guide Dr. Jeffrey Kozak (ME) Faculty Consultant Dr. Dorin Patru (EE) Dr. Vincent Amuso (EE) Primary Customer Project METEOR

*Planning: Mission Statement Product Description This project will provide Project METEOR with an SSS. METEOR is a pico-satellite launch system that will use a weather balloon to take a launch vehicle to ~90,000ft. The vehicle will then disconnect and propel the satellite payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). A multi-stage design will be used for its (propellant mass) : (total mass) ratio advantages. After a portion of the fuel is burned the rocket can discard the dead weight of the rocket body, fuel tanks, plumbing, and larger combustion chambers. The project scope includes a mechanical device as well as an electrical control system to precisely time the separation. If time allows, the project will also provide a system to deploy the satellite for final separation from the launch vehicle. Key Business Goals METEOR is the first university-based project in the world whose ultimate goal is to launch and place small payloads on near-Earth asteroids and lunar surfaces! This project will provide the students and faculty at RIT, and the scientific community at large, the opportunity to obtain small payload volumes for conducting micro-systems and other scientific experiments in outer space. METEOR will accommodate and promote these multi-disciplinary collaborations. The final product holds the potential to attract universities aimed at space-based research and satellite sciences. Primary Market The RIT scientific community and Project METEOR Secondary Market Universities looking to launch satellites weighing less than 1kg into space for a low cost Stakeholders METEOR Faculty Guides as customers Harris Corporation as a financier RIT Students and Faculty as customers NASA as a possible financier Universities with Space Research Programs as customers Aerospace Companies as possible financiers or competitors

*Planning: Staffing Requirements ME0 – Project Manager A dedicated project manager will be responsible for connecting the project planning to the Senior Design project. He/She should facilitate total system integration and encourage team creativity to address customer needs. Should assist the other students with their tasks as needed and facilitate communications with the project guides. IE The METEOR SSS team needs an IE to perform requirements flow-down from the METEOR customer needs to the system specifications. He/She will also be responsible for designing a set of test procedures to ensure system reliability. This student will also study the success/failure of past METEOR teams to develop a better team model for the project family.

*Planning: Staffing Requirements ME1 - Structural The METEOR SSS team needs an ME student to create a CAD design of individual parts and a total assembly. He/She will also need to perform FEA analysis of actuating components. This analysis will be used to reduce safety margins to the minimum necessary for a low life cycle system. This student will also select proper materials, and fabricate custom parts. EE1 - Hardware The METEOR SSS team needs an EE Student to determine power requirements of the separation system. He/She will also be responsible for performing the integration with a power source, a micro-controller, and the on-board guidance system. This student will also investigate optical connections for use in inter-stage communication, and advise on the purchasing of electrical components.

*Planning: Staffing Requirements ME2 - Controls The METEOR SSS team needs an ME student to create a dynamic model of the separation sequence. This will include all mechanical actuation and torque/force calculations. He/She will also be responsible for helping EE2 develop control algorithms, as well as fabricating parts with ME1. This student will also help select necessary off the shelf components. EE2 - Controls The METEOR SSS team needs an EE student to develop control algorithms for the separation sequence. He/She will be responsible for writing the controlling code for input to the on-board guidance system. This student should work closely with ME2 to ensure their control sequence matches the dynamic model.

Planning: Preliminary Work Breakdown

Planning: Preliminary Work Breakdown

Planning: Intellectual Property While most METEOR results are available to the general public, some information that is released to the public must be screened by the AIAA for ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and EAR (Export Administration Regulations) sensitive material, which must not leave the U.S. All other METEOR work completed by students is expected to be released to the public domain. Most, if not all SSS work will become public knowledge.

*Planning: Resource Requirements People -Current METEOR SD teams and Dr. Patru and Dr. Kozak will have more information at the start of the project. -Various faculty experts who will need to be contacted -Dave Hathaway -Vendors -Dr. Amuso Environment -METEOR design laboratory (tabletop testing) Equipment Control System simulation software METEOR Lab contains 4 computers, storage space, and work space Machine Shop and CNC Equipment Materials Stock metals, plastics, and electrical components. The only foreseeable long lead item would be a microcontroller, but this project won’t start until at least 2008-1.

*Resources: Other Senior Design Projects Past Projects: 04036, 05005, 06006, 06007, P07102, P07103 (Instrumentation Platform), P07104, P07105, P07106 (Guidance), P07107, P07108, P07109 (Rocket Engine), P07110 (Test Stand) Current Projects: P08101 (Instrumentation Platform), P08102, P08105 (Stage 3 Engine), P08106 (Stage 3 Rocket Body) Future Projects: P09101 (Thrust Vectoring), P09103 (Recovery System)

Available Resources: METEOR Engine Testing Horizontal Test Stand Rocket Body Concept Instrumentation Platform Electrical Hardware Concept

*Concept Development: Customer Needs METEOR Needs 1. Needs to deliver a 1kg payload to LEO 2. Needs to be controllable and semi-autonomous 3. Needs to have a planned trajectory 4. Needs to be safe to the operator 5. Needs to be a cost effective alternative to current launch methods 6. Needs to be safe for community surrounding the launch site 7. Needs to have a (propellant) : (structure) ratio of 10:1 and a total mass around ~200kg 8. Needs to integrate multiple projects and systems SSS Needs 1. Needs to enable the separation of rocket stages 2. Needs to hold rocket stages together until separation 3. Needs to be lightweight 4. Needs to be robust enough to withstand external stresses 5. Needs to have minimal effect on the rocket trajectory 6. Needs to remain attached to lower stage in order to reduce the mass of upper stages 7. Needs to be testable on the ground and at altitude 8. Needs to bridge hardwired communications between stages 9. Needs to be precisely timed with control algorithms 10. Needs to integrate with the METEOR guidance system 11. Needs to integrate with the METEOR rocket body 12. Needs to operate in a vacuum 13. Needs to perform in altitudes from sea level to1200mi 14. Needs to be used only once 15. Needs to be scalable 16. Needs to use available space efficiently

*Concept Development: Affinity Diagram

*Concept Development: Objective Tree

Concept Development: Target Specifications and Metrics Note: The “Max Separating Load” will be a critical factor in designing the separation system robustness. The load endured by each separation assembly will depend on multiple factors still to be determined, including the instantaneous mass of each stage, the maximum thrust of each stage, the location of CG’s of each stage, the instantaneous trajectory of the rocket, and thrust vectoring magnitudes.

Rocket Free Body Diagram (During Engine Firing) mpg ~2.2lbf m3g ~70lbf Fvmax m2g θ (changing) This is an exaggeration of the rocket trajectory while the first stage is still connected. The forces will be primarily compressive, and as a result the bending moments won’t be as substantial as pictured here. FT for Stage 3 is estimated at 200lbf. FT for Stage 1 would probably be at least 2000lbf, since the 1st stage will have five Stage 2 engines (According to plan as of 10/1/07). Fv will be on the order of 10N (0.22lbf) at most. FT (changing) m1g (changing)

Rocket Free Body Diagram (During Balloon Ascension) mpg ~2.2lbf m3g ~70lbf T1 T2 mpg ~2.2lbf m3g ~70lbf m2g m2g m1g The platform connection method is not finalized, but it appears the largest tensile separation forces will be experienced during this phase of the launch. m1g

*Concept Development: Benchmarking Competitive or Cooperative Solutions -No pico-satellite development companies -Micro-satellite launchers could be used as business models should RIT decide to turn METEOR into a business. Internet Search http://meteor.rit.edu/ RIT Project METEOR homepage Space Development Companies: http://www.personalspaceflight.info/ (A central space development website) http://www.spacex.com/ http://www.xcor.com/ http://www.rocketplaneglobal.com/ http://www.rocketplanekistler.com/ http://www.scaled.com/ Technical Literature Search http://www.aiaa.org for Technical Paper Searches and relevant research http://www.knovel.com.ezproxy.rit.edu for online textbooks: Elements of Propulsion – Gas Turbines and Rockets has a method for calculating rocket stage parameters for certain propellant/weight combinations RIT Library for Ordering Technical Papers

*Concept Development: Benchmarking NEA Electronics http://www.neaelectronics.com/ Swiss Propulsion Laboratories http://www.spl.ch Source: http://www.neaelectronics.net NEA Electronics produces several off-the-shelf stage separation systems. One of them is an external, electronically triggered ring. A single actuation point acts as a quick release. The ring appears to be spring loaded in order to detach from the rocket body. NEA claims that the ring is reusable. Swiss Propulsion Laboratories produces a stage separation system that relies on mechanical actuation. The actuating components look robust. It could probably sustain a large max separation load. If recovered, it could be used multiple times, due to system robustness.

Project Deliverables Mechanical connection between stages Stage separation by electromechanical actuation Control algorithms written for guidance system Communication with guidance system fully enabled Standard Test protocol Required: Documentation of all work

Issues and Risks The METEOR SSS should be built with system integration in mind The system will be a small portion of an 18kg structure The SD team should rely on available METEOR data and projects There are many factors to consider for mechanical loading predictions

Future Needs for the PRP Grading and Assessment Scheme: It is not possible to create a meaningful grading scheme that includes project deliverables with the limited data available Updating to METEOR changes - The project planning needs updating according to changes in METEOR prior to starting Senior Design I