The Oregon State University Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA) team competed in the annual Spaceport America Cup under Oregon State University’s student branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Led by underclassmen and capstone seniors in their final project, this group of students designed, built, and flew a rocket to compete with in nine months. They completed this without any previous high-power rocketry experience.
The team is composed of five sub-teams: avionics, payload, propulsion, recovery, and structures. Each sub-team is responsible for a specific aspect of the rocket and must collaborate to deliver an 8.9-pound payload to an altitude of 10,000 ft. The team competes in the Student Research And Developed (SRAD) category of the competition, indicating that the solid rocket motor used is designed and created by students.
Equipped with the custom airbreaking Blade Extending Apogee Variance System (BEAVS) to permit greater flight accuracy, Ramkoers is a 13-foot rocket merging custom-built aluminum bulkheads, carbon fiber fins, experimental strakes, and a fiberglass nose cone with a sponsor-provided 6-inch carbon fiber main body tube.
During the competition, the rocket suffered an anomaly that resulted in the loss of the airframe. This failure brought the opportunity to learn from mistakes and become a better, safer team. This presentation will cover the challenges, solutions, and specifications of the 2024 OSU ESRA Rocket Ramkoers.