Last month, we mentioned the most exciting news from Castle Point Rocketry. In short, the company is sponsoring three new senior design teams to work on the rocket.

These interdisciplinary teams incorporate students from all across Stevens Institute of Technology. Chemical (CHE), Computer (CPE), Electrical (EE), and Mechanical (ME) Engineers will work with Cyber Security (CS) students to help us reach the Karman Line.

As with last year’s marathon goal, a diverse set of subsystems is on the docket. Here is a quick look.

Flight Computer Team

Redundant hardware is beneficial for most projects. If one component on a flight computer fails, the entire system may shut down. (Or, in the case of a rocket, end catastrophically.) This team will incorporate fallback systems into the current computer in order to make a more robust rocket.

The Flight Computer Team will design a leaner flight computer for Castle Point Rocketry. Composed of two EEs and a CPE, they are well-equipped for the task.

Ground Systems Team

The Ground Systems Team will remodel the ground infrastructure required to launch the rocket. Suitably, two CPEs, two MEs, and one CS are tackling this sprawling project.

Most radically, upgrades will be made to on-site telemetry systems and relay boxes. These changes will allow the team to communicate with the rocket more reliably and more securely. This is necessary both pre- and post-launch.

Given the time, the team will also build a stronger ground control center to provide instant feedback on the rocket.

Igniter Team

Expanding on last year’s prototype, the Igniter Team is designing a new igniter. After all, our current igniter is not reusable — though it looks spectacular in action. The goal of this project is to make it reusable and safer.

Two CHEs and two MEs will make it happen. Already, a series of meetings has been very productive. If all goes well, it could even be on the next injector model!

Future Blogs

In the future, both the company and these new teams will provide blog updates. That way, we can keep everyone informed of the latest news at Castle Point Rocketry!