Rocket Project

🚀 Unmanned Rocket Project

An Arduino-based unmanned rocket payload system that collects atmospheric and kinematic data during flight. Developed as part of the PHY-220 course on unmanned vehicles and payload implementation.

Table of Contents

• About
• Features
• Tech Stack
• Project Structure
• Hardware Requirements
• Installation
• Usage
• Data & Analysis
• Contributing

About

This project is part of a course on unmanned vehicles and payload systems, which covers the design and implementation of payloads for rockets, balloons, robotic rovers, and drones. The rocket payload gathers atmospheric and kinematic data during flight, which is then analyzed and presented as part of the course deliverables.

Features

• Collects real-time atmospheric data (altitude, pressure, temperature) during rocket flight
• Logs kinematic data (acceleration, orientation) using onboard sensors
• Custom PCB design for compact and reliable in-flight electronics integration
• Arduino firmware written in C++ for sensor interfacing and data management
• Structured data output for post-flight analysis

Tech Stack

Project Structure

Rocket-Project/
├── Arduino/           # Arduino firmware source code (.ino / .cpp files)
│   └── ...            # Sensor drivers, data logging, flight logic
├── PCB/               # PCB design files (schematics, layout, Gerbers)
│   └── ...            # Custom board design for the payload
└── README.md

Hardware Requirements

• Feather M4 Can or other microcontroller boards (e.g., Arduino Uno)
• 9 Degree of Freedom (e.g., Adafruit LSM9DS1) for acceleration, magnetic field and rotaional velocity
• Pressure, Humidity, and Temperature sensor (e.g., Adafruit MS8607)
• Custom PCB (see /PCB folder for design files)
• LiPo battery pack suitable for flight
• USB cable for programming and serial monitoring

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/DyDyVNR/Rocket-Project.git
   cd Rocket-Project

2. Open the firmware in Arduino IDE

   • Launch Arduino IDE
   • Go to File > Open and select the .ino file inside the Arduino/ folder

3. Install required libraries

   • Open Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries
   • Install any libraries referenced in the sketch (e.g., Wire, Adafruit_LSM9DS1, Adafruit_Sensor)

4. Select your board and port

   • Go to Tools > Board and select your Arduino model
   • Go to Tools > Port and select the correct COM port

5. Upload the firmware

   • Click the Upload button (→) or press Ctrl+U

Usage

1. Assemble the payload electronics onto the custom PCB following the schematic in /PCB
2. Connect the Arduino to your computer and upload the firmware (see Installation)
3. Open Tools > Serial Monitor (baud rate: 9600 or as set in the sketch) to verify sensor readings before flight
4. Mount the payload inside the rocket airframe
5. After the flight, retrieve the logged data from the Arduino's serial output or onboard storage for analysis

Data & Analysis

The payload collects the following data during flight:

Post-flight data is analyzed to evaluate the rocket's flight profile, apogee, and descent characteristics.

Contributing

This is an academic project. If you'd like to suggest improvements:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/your-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add your feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/your-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request