Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Research Articles

Predicting Performance and Roll-Rate Minimization of a High-Powered Model Rocket

The Collegiate Rocket Launch is a competition sponsored by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium which challenges student teams from colleges throughout the state of Wisconsin to design, build, and launch a high-powered model rocket. Teams are scored based on quality of technical reports, project management, outreach, and the competition flight. The 2022 competition challenged teams to create an active control system that minimized the roll rate of the rocket while in flight, as well as reach but not exceed a target altitude of 3,500 feet. Marquette Rocketry is proud to have placed first in the competition and given the title mission grand champion.

Pioneer Rocketry - 2022 Collegiate Rocket Launch Competition

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium hosts the annual Collegiate Rocket Launch Competition every year. The goal of the competition this year was to design and build a rocket that can achieve an apogee below 3500 ft, has a system that can stabilize the roll-rate after motor burnout, has a system that logs the acceleration and roll of the flight, and utilizes a dual-deploy recovery system. The rocket, Sialia, used a I435 motor to lift off to an apogee of 1970 ft and successfully recovered using a dual-deploy system. Unfortunately, neither the control system nor the flight recording systems were confirmed to function due to the camera system and Sialia landing in water. Pioneer Rocketry is very proud to have placed second in this competition.

Pioneer Rocketry Proceedings Report 2021

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium hosts the annual Collegiate Rocket Launch Competition every year. The goal of the competition this year was to design and build a rocket to fly to between 2500 and 3500 ft and record flight data along with additional internal readings. The rocket, “Error :(“, used a CTI I435 motor to lift it to an apogee of 2300 ft.. An onboard electronics bay would take measurements before and during flight and a breakaway USB cable from the launch pad to a ground station allowed communication with the rocket until the point of liftoff.

Pioneer Rocketry Proceedings Report 2019

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium hosts the annual Collegiate Rocket Launch Competition every year. The goal of the competition this year was to design and build a rocket to fly to between 700 and 1000 ft and deploy an autonomous ground excursion vehicle upon landing. The rocket, Istanbul, used a CTI J357 motor to lift it to an apogee of 896 ft, and successfully deployed the ground excursion module after landing. On the second flight attempt, Istanbul achieved an apogee of 742 ft, much closer to the predicted apogee of 750 ft. Unfortunately, during this second flight, Istanbul landed in water, disqualifying the flight. Pioneer Rocketry is very proud to have placed first in this competition, winning the title of Mission Grand Champion.

Modal Propellant Gauging in Microgravity

Since 2008, the Modal Propellant Gauging (MPG) team, consisting of multidisciplinary undergraduate researchers from Carthage College, has been developing and testing a fuel gauging system for use in microgravity environments. Using Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) techniques, the goal of the MPG project is to develop a flight ready technology that gauges fuel in microgravity environments by correlating the modal response of a 1-g equilibrium surface to the microgravity surface response at the same fluid fill level. The technology has been tested aboard parabolic flights via a manned parabolic flight payload. The payload consists of two propellant tanks and is designed to measure the modal response of each propellant tank to an injected white noise signal via PZT sensors. Flight data shows that the MPG method can measure fuel with greater than or equal to 1% resolution at and below 50% fill levels. Under funding from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium during the summer of 2018 and 2019, the MPG team made improvements to the Blue Origin New Shepard research flight payload which saw flight on the New Shepard vehicle in January of 2019 and is manifested to fly again in December of 2019.

Modal Propellant Gauging - Blue Origin Payload

Since 2008, the Modal Propellant Gauging (MPG) team, consisting of multidisciplinary undergraduate researchers from Carthage College, has been developing and testing a fuel gauging system for use in microgravity environments. Using experimental modal analysis (EMA) techniques, the goal of the MPG project is to develop a flight ready technology that gauges fuel in microgravity environments by correlating the modal response of a 1-g equilibrium surface to the microgravity surface response at the same fluid fill level. The technology has been tested aboard parabolic flights via a manned parabolic flight payload. The payload consists of two propellant tanks and is designed to measure the modal response of each propellant tank to an injected white noise signal via piezoelectric sensors. Flight data shows that the MPG method can measure fuel with greater than or equal to 1% resolution at and below 50% fill levels. Under funding from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium during the summer of 2018, the MPG team made improvements to the Blue Origin New Shepard research flight rig which is manifested to fly in the second half of 2018.

2018 WSGC Collegiate Rocketry Competition

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium hosts the Collegiate Rocket Launch Competition every year. The goal of the competition this year was to design and build a rocket to fly to 3000 ft and take a 360° photo upon landing. The rocket, Focal Point, used a single external camera that would rotate to achieve a panoramic video. After recovery, the video was stitched into a panoramic photo. Despite several unforeseen challenges on the day of the launch, Focal Point achieved three flights. To reduce weight and achieve an altitude closer to the goal of 3000 ft, six inches of body tube was removed for the final flight. This drastically improved our flight performance. Pioneer Rocketry is very proud to be able to win third place in this competition

Does Behavioral Inhibition Affect the Breathing Response to Elevated CO2? Implications for a Respiratory Stress Response.

Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperament characteristic in which an individual tends to avoid unfamiliar situations or environments. Individuals with high BI are more vulnerable to developing an anxiety disorder, such as Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), when placed under stressful conditions (Gladstone and Parker, 2005). Behaviorally inhibited organisms learn faster and are slower to extinguish the response to a stimulus (Sheynin et al., 2013; Servatius et al.,, 2008). Our lab over the past several years has been investigating the relationship between a respiratory stress response to CO2 and BI. In this study, participants played a computer game used previously by Sheynin et al., 2013, to evaluate avoidance acquisition and extinction. BI and non‐BI individuals were separated based on Adult Measure of Behavioral Inhibition (AMBI) and Retrospective Measure of Behavioral Inhibition (RMBI). Gas volumes of 4.5% and 7.0% CO2 were applied as different doses of a respiratory stimulant to further the understanding of any physiological differences in breathing between those with BI compared to those without. We hypothesize that individuals with high BI exhibit differences in all parameters of breathing compared to non‐BI individuals during both levels of CO2, and therefore predict that individuals with high BI respond more robustly to CO2. The 4.5% and 7.0% CO2 were obtained by mixing room air with pure CO2 in a Tissot Spirometer and validated using an Oxygraph O2 and CO2 analyzer. The mixed gas was then delivered from a 100 liter gas bag attached to a breathing tube attached to a Hans Rudolph two‐way non‐rebreathing valve. The subjects placed a two‐way valve attached to a mouthpiece into their mouths and then had a nose clip placed over their noses to create a tight seal between the breathing gas bags and themselves. Respiratory data were collected using a BioPac computer data collection system. Our sample sizes are for 4.5% CO2 – Air BI (n=8) and for non‐BI (n=7), and for 7.0% CO2 – Air BI (n=5) and for non‐BI (n=7). When the data were analyzed there were no apparent differences for VT, VI, Fbr between BI and non‐BI individuals exposed to 7.0% CO2, however, in the 4.5% CO2 breathing parameters there was a marked increased both in absolute value and in percent change for Fbr for BI individuals when compared to non‐BI individuals. Given the small sample sizes of the groups, we conclude that increasing the sample sizes is necessary before any more substantive conclusions can be drawn. In addition, our future studies will include measurements of heart rate, blood pressure, salivary cortisol and salivary amylase.Support or Funding InformationNASA Training Grant #NNX15Aj12H, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Infrastructure Grant, RIP‐17 #30116‐03This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

2017 Elijah High-Altitude Balloon Launch Team Summer Proceedings Report

The 2017 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Elijah High-Altitude Balloon Launch Team was comprised of one student from Lawrence University, two students from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and one student from the University of Wisconsin – Fox Valley. This year, three members of the team had experience with high altitude balloon launches due to previous participation on either the Elijah Payload or Launch Team, or both. A training session was hosted by Dr. Farrow to familiarize or refresh the team with the physical setup of a launch train as well as how to run track predictions and how to read the jet stream charts. Launches were planned and carried out for the Elijah High-Altitude Balloon Payload Team. This launch was successful, reaching a peak altitude of over 115,000 ft (35 km) above mean sea level.

Modal Propellant Gauging

Since 2011, the Modal Propellant Gauging (MPG) team, consisting of multidisciplinary undergraduate researchers from Carthage College, has been developing and testing a fuel gauging system for use in microgravity environments. Using experimental modal analysis (EMA) techniques, the goal of the MPG project is to develop a flight ready technology that gauges fuel in microgravity environments by correlating the modal response of a 1-g equilibrium surface to the microgravity surface response at the same fluid fill level. The technology has been tested aboard parabolic flights via a manned parabolic flight payload. The payload consists of two propellant tanks and is designed to measure the modal response of each propellant tank to an injected white noise signal via piezoelectric sensors. Flight data shows that the MPG method can measure fuel with greater than or equal to 1% resolution at and below 50% fill levels. Under funding from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium during the summer of 2017, the MPG team made improvements to the parabolic flight payload in addition to designing a new payload for use aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard research flight scheduled for the first half of 2018.

Astronomy Magazine Fellowship

The Astronomy Magazine Fellowship, funded by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, was an opportunity to work with Astronomy Magazine at Kalmbach Publishing in Waukesha, Wisconsin for 10 weeks in the summer of 2016 as the first student science writer.

Badger Ballistics Participation in WSGC Collegiate Rocket Launch 2016

This paper is a report of Badger Ballistics’ participation in the Collegiate Rocket Launch competition hosted by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. The objective of this competition is to build a high power rocket depicting an accurate scale model of a launch vehicle used by private industry or government, and predict its launch apogee with minimal error. The vehicle’s target apogee must fall between 2500 and 3500 feet. The team chose to create a rocket replicating the German V-2 look. Most unique to our design is our use of 3D printing for body components. At competition day, the team submitted an apogee prediction of 3300 feet and recorded an unofficial launch apogee of 2940 feet. Badger Ballistics achieved the third closest apogee prediction and placed fifth overall in competition.

2016 Elijah High Altitude Balloon Launch Team Summer Proceedings Report

The 2016 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Elijah High Altitude Balloon Launch Team was comprised of two students from Milwaukee School of Engineering, one student from University of Wisconsin – Fox Valley, and one student from Carthage College. This year, the majority of the students involved were discovering the balloon launch experience for the first time. The 2016 Elijah Balloon Launch Team held a meeting for the new members to learn how all of the equipment worked through a practice run using the tools in a trial.The first launch planned was cancelled, and was postponed to the next weekend. This launch was successful, reaching a peak altitude of 31,021m.Â

Pioneer Rocketry - 2016 WSGC Collegiate Rocket Competition

The objective of the 2016 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Collegiate Rocket Launch Competition was to design and build a “true scale model” of any real world rocket or missile. We selected to bring a scale model of the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL to this year's competition. We had three flights during the competition, all of which were successful, and close to our expected values. This, as well as our documentation, earned us first place in this year's competition. The following report details the design and construction of Pioneer Rocketry’s 2016 competition rocket, along with information regarding Pioneer Rocketry’s growth as both an educational and professional organization.

An Aerospace Experience at ORBITEC - 2016 WSCG Industry Internship Award

The objective of the 2016 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSCG) Industry Internship Award is to allow students to gain valuable aerospace involvement through an internship with an industry partner. During my industry partnership with ORBITEC, I experienced the aerospace industry through a variety of projects. Some of these projects include but are not limited to the VEGGIE System, Zero Gravity Mass Measurement Device (ZGMMD), and Plastic Melt Waste Compactor (PMWC). Â My internship opportunity not only gave me important insights into engineering, but it also led to a full time engineering position with the company.

RockOn Workshop

RockOn is a sounding rocket payload building workshop organized by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, Virginia Space Grant Consortium, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). Participants spend a week at WFF building, testing, and integrating a predesigned payload from a kit and see it launched at the end of the week. We attended the workshop with the support of the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and report our experience here. We recommend this program to others and plan to participate in the next level of the program, RockSat-C, this year.

The Circulation of Ionized Gas in the Milky Way Galaxy

We use the Wisconsin H-alpha Mapper (WHAM) all sky survey to observe kinematic properties of ionized interstellar gas in the Galaxy. WHAM’s survey is a velocity resolved map of the H-alpha emission from the Milky Way with a one-degree spatial resolution and 12.8 km s-1 velocity resolution. Using this data the first and second moments are calculated and mapped to provide insight on the kinematic properties of the Galaxy. This research was funded by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and supported by the NSF REU site grant to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Team Whoosh Generator 2015 WSGC Collegiate Rocket Competition

The objectives of the 2015 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) Collegiate Rocket Competition were to design and build a “boosted dart” high-powered rocket to allow the dart stage to reach the highest possible apogee and to conform to design restrictions and added design objectives. The rocket was required to use a Cesaroni I-445 motor as specified by WSGC, use a flight data recorder provided by WSGC, and be safely recovered in a flyable condition by use of a parachute system. The dart was required to be an unpowered upper stage that drag separates from the booster without imparting momentum onto the dart. In addition to the altimeters already on board, a noncommercial data acquisition system was required to record data on the rotation of the rocket in the X, Y, and Z axes over time. Finally, the rocket was required to record downward facing video of the flight starting at the time of launch.Included in this report are design details considered, anticipated performance, photos of constructed components, and flight results.

Pioneer Rocketry 2015 WSGC Collegiate Rocket Competition

The objective of the 2015 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) Collegiate Rocket Competition was to design and build a two stage “Boosted Dart" - style rocket to achieve maximum altitude. The rocket was propelled by a single grain 54mm rocket motor (I445 Vmax). Extensive design and modeling was done to optimize the design to achieve maximum altitude. An electronic device designed to measure the rotation of the rocket that would then be correlated to rotation observed with video captured by a camera system. The rocket performed as expected in most aspects, completing most objectives per competition parameters. The flight of the boosted dart however ended in failure, as a delayed ejection of the parachute resulted in compounding failures leading to the loss of the rocket. The camera, having fallen separate from the rocket body, had survived the flight. The video was analyzed and the flights apogee was estimated to be 6000ft. The following report details the design and construction of Pioneer Rocketry’s 2015 competition rocket, along with information regarding Pioneer Rocketry’s growth as both an educational and professional organization.Â

Red Hawk Rocketry Boosted Dart

As part of the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium competition, Red Hawk Rocketry built a rocket for the Collegiate Rocket Launch Competition’s non-engineering contest. The launch went well, albeit a little unstable, veering in the direction of the wind. This was unexpected since within our RockSim files, our rocket was considerably over stable, so it should have turned into the wind. Its apogee was around 1000 feet due to the fact that our rocket was rather massive compared to other teams. However, because of its low apogee, we were able to easily locate and retrieve the rocket upon landing, as intended. Finally, all three aspects of the challenge were completed successfully; the dart separated, we were able to access mid-flight rotation data from our gyroscope, and we obtained on board, down looking video during the flight.Â