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CURRENT PROJECTS
2023 SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP
Overall, the 2022 Spaceport America trip was an astounding success for the CRE team! The team initially wanted to enter the 30k COTS category going into this year, however, due to the budget of the team being initially cut by 52% for the 2022-2023 year, it was decided to once again compete in the 10k COTS category (that way we could reuse materials from our previous year). Despite this, the team is working towards a much more advance rocket this year:
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We are working with NASA to develop a payload which will launch a number of autonomous gliders at our apogee. Payload is currently exploring the idea of a mechanical separation system.
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We plan on having external and internal cameras throughout the rocket to capture multiple angles of our launch.
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We have a complete design overhaul to how the rocket in assembled, with nesting bulkheads.
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Active Aero (IRAD) is developing both air brakes and roll system.
In addition to these awesome projects, CRE is also establishing a business team with will aid in raising funds for the team.
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Update: 10/15/2022 Today, the team went to Camden, South Carolina, and launched 22 personal rockets! This was an incredible experience to see so many members design, build, and launch their very own rockets. An initial kit was purchased to get the members started, but our members took off from there. Students created custom fins, custom nose cones, had live telemetry systems, student research and designed avionics, and even a baby carrot flew! It was great to see so many new members involved in this event and we are hopeful it has sparked the passion of rocketry in them! This event was funded by the Clemson University College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences (CECAS). Their generous support is the reason we were able to achieve this incredible accomplishment!
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Update: 12/29/2022 As the year wraps up, I am proud to say that CRE has been able to raise approximately $15,750. We still more funds to ensure both the trip, and our rocket are fully funded, so if you know anyone who wants to sponsor us, please send them our way!
PAST PROJECTS
2022 SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP - Oculus I
After a rough couple of years dealing with COVID, the club has moved back to in person meetings and is looking to dive head first into this years rocket. We're working to compete in our fifth official Spaceport America Cup as a part of the 10,000' AGL COTS category. We expect a much higher performance from the rocket as a result of preparing during COVID.
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Results:
CRE ending up placing 10th of 45 in the 10k COTS category and 17th overall
of 157 teams. Here are some of the highlights from the launch:
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Our team launched on the first day of the competition, 6th launch of the day, in the third salvo.
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We fully recovered the rocket, with no damage. This was the first time our team had carbon fiber tip-to-tip layup fins and they withstood the launch; our fins had no flutter. We also had fiberglass composite body tubes for the first time in the team’s history.
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We only had a 2.7% error from our predicted altitude (we predicted 10,383 feet and only overshot to 10,665 feet; an average collected from our altimeter sensors). This error came from a difference in actual temperature at the time we launched.
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Update 01/24/2022: Oculus I has officially been entered into the 2022 Spaceport America Cup, and will fly under the power of a M1800FJ motor in an effort to reach its target apogee of 10,000' AGL. The team plans to test fly Oculus I at Joint Base Charleston, just outside of Columbia, SC, in cooperation with the Citadel and Kennesaw State University.
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Update 09/01/2021: The team has yet to come up with a name for the rocket, and there is no official announcement regarding the payload project, although we anticipate now that it will be a continuation of the past two years cold gas thruster roll control system. After all recruiting was said and done the team has come out with an amazing group of new and returning members for the 2021/22 year, and we all are very excited to see what we can make of it.
2021 SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP
We are entering in our 5th Spaceport America Cup. Having missed our opportunity at the 2020 Spaceport America Cup, we now intend to fly in the 30,000ft COTS category.
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As always, we fully intend on manufacturing all body tubes and internal components in house. We are anticipating the continuation of the 2020 Spaceport America Cup payload, as well as will continue to optimize the strength and weight of our carbon fiber body tubes, through rigorous testing.
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Update 02/17/2021: The team was just made aware of Spaceport America Cups decision to move this years competition online. With no opportunity to launch our teams rocket to 30,000 ft AGL, the team decided to withdraw from the competition, and put more effort into club restructuring to prepare for the 2022 Spaceport America Cup.
2021 ARGONIA CUP (Cancelled)
We are excited to announce our first ever entry in the Argonia Cup, which will continue to expand the Clemson Rocket Engineering horizons. Being manufactured mostly by new members, we expect this rocket to diminish the learning curve for entry level rocketeers through hands on design and manufacturing experience.
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Update 01/21/2021: The team has been informed that student club travel of any kind will not be funded in the Spring 2021 semester, and as result the Clemson Rocket Engineers will not be able to participate in the 2021 Argonia Cup. Despite the inability to travel to Argonia, the hard work put into this project will not go to waste, the team will still manufacture the rocket and plan to launch as soon as possible.
2020 SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP
We are entering in our 4th Spaceport America Cup and have decided that our team will ultimately benefit the most from competing in the 10,000ft COTS category. We are hoping that walking before running will allow us to fine tune "Deshauns Arrow II", and compete with every school at IREC.
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This rocket will once again only use in house manufactured carbon fiber body tubes as well as custom made electronics and student machined internals. This years payload will also be deploying, and descending under its own parachute, while performing various cold gas thruster burns to control rotation.
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Update: Due to COVID-19, this years entry was ended short. The bulk of the 2020 rockets design is intended to be used in the 2021 Argonia Cup.
2019 SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP
We are entering in our 3rd Spaceport America Cup and this year we are taking a giant step forward and competing in the 30,000ft COTS category. We will be taking a commercial solid rocket motor and using it to propel "Howards Rocket" as high as an airliner.
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The rocket will use our student made carbon fiber body tubes as well as custom made electronics and student machined internals. We will have 3 GoPro cameras recording inside of a tuned mass damper to film the ride in June of 2019
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Update: After an incredible flight to ~22,000ft AGL, we recovered the payvionics bay and the nosecone. Due to a shock cord failure we were unable to recover the booster tube. When the smoke cleared we finished at an astounding 44th out of 109 teams, a great step in the right direction.
2019 RockSat-C
Working with NASA and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, we are designing a soft body robotics experiment that will fly into space on a Terrier-Malamute rocket. This will help enhance our payload and avionics skills as well as provide valuable data for soft body robotics research on Clemson's campus. We are aiming to launch from Wallops Island in the summer of 2019 and test the experiment at an altitude of over 100km.
2019 Rock-On
We will be sending 5 students to NASA's Rock-On workshop where our members will create payloads from kits and launch them on a NASA rocket.
2018 SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP
We are entering in our 2nd Spaceport America Cup and this year we are aiming to improve upon our 2017 entry, with another 10,000 ft COTS rocket. We are hoping to launch and recover "TIGER-1" for the clubs first ever rocket launch in New Mexico.
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The rocket will use our student made carbon fiber body tubes as well as custom made electronics and student machined internals. This years payload will be a deployable drone that will aid in the recovery of the rocket.
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Update: The team worked tirelessly to achieve the launch at Spaceport, but were unsuccessful in getting the rocket prepared for flight before judging was closed. However, the range was still open, and the team did not give up and were able to launch TIGER-1 to 7,000 ft above the New Mexico desert, recovering all components successfully.
2017 SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP
We are entering in our 1st ever Spaceport America Cup and like most new rocketry teams, we intend on competing in the 10,000ft COTS category. We are please to announce the clubs maiden rocket "Deshauns Arrow" a play on words of Deshaun Watsons passing touchdown celebration.
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The team will manufacture all carbon fiber body tubes as well as all metal interior components. We will also use a completely custom avionics system, also designed and manufactured solely by students in our club.
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Update: Due to various complications, the team was unable to launch Deshauns Arrow at the 2017 Spaceport America Cup. A few months later, however, the team drove to Bayboro, NC and were able to successfully launch the teams first ever experimental sounding rocket.