It is no secret that the space industry has seen exponential growth over the last decade, especially with the debut of space systems like SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 rocket. With growing success comes increased demand for knowledgeable engineers that can solve the strenuous launch problems of today. HART seeks to bridge the gap between industry and academia and provide students with direct design-to-fly experience that can yield career potential. This is achieved by HART’s mission to send a two-stage experimental solid propellant rocket to space.
It starts with a design that is built upon the successes and shortcomings of the previous year in hopes of increasing flight apogee as well as recovery robustness. Through sub scale testing and full scale simulation based on the data collected, a final design is decided upon and full scale construction commences. A final full scale test launch is then conducted with a simulated upper stage motor filled with sand to practice stage separation, known as a boosted dart. This year, HARTBreaker V3 reached an apogee of 64,016ft followed by a completely successful recovery of both booster and sustainer stages, a first in HART history. This signifies a turning point in HART operations, allowing students to confidently design and build rockets based on already successful systems and data. HART is now one step closer to being one among the stars.