Document Type

Undergraduate Project

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2023

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Engineering Technology

Committee Chair

Charles Pringle, PE

Second Committee Member

Dr. John Choi

Third Committee Member

Mr. Chris Berkshire

Abstract

For the NASA Student Launch Competition, a deployment system was created to deploy the payload of the rocket. To accomplish this the deployment system was designed, analyzed, manufactured, and tested to meet the requirements from the NASA Competition. The requirements included deployment of the payload as well as staying within 4 pounds. The project requirements were researched and each of the proposed components had analyses completed. The analyses included weight calculations, stress, and deflection analyses using statics, mechanics of materials, and dynamics. There were many discussions throughout the project between the teammates to ensure all components of the payload and deployment system would interact accordingly and be within regulation. Teammates included Eli Kirk and Ethan Stapleton. During the analysis phase, the parts were designed using SolidWorks. After assuring all requirements were met, the linear actuator was ordered, and the manufacturing process was initialized. The parts manufactured included cutting a polycarbonate sheet into support plates and 3D printing using Central Washington University’s Mechanical Engineering Department’s 3D printers to print the remaining parts. After the parts were manufactured the deployment system was constructed and tested. The testing included measuring the deflection on the parts the linear actuator was in contact with as well as the total time the linear actuator would take to fully deploy. The deployment system for the rocket completed its requirements during the competition which were deploying 3 inches after the rocket landed, with no wire entanglements, and deployed 1.8 seconds under the required time of 8 seconds.

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