Introduction to Engineering Design: Rockets was a part of the Engineering 96 (E96) series that UCLA had recently created. It was a set of project-based courses dedicated to giving students hands-on experience. I signed up for my E96 course right away as a freshman entering my first quarter, eager to start building and launching rockets. ​​​​​​​

3DPR | 3D Printed Rocket

The first half of the course consisted of learning about CAD, fundamental rocket design, and flight and propulsion basics. We also worked in teams of two to build and launch a small, 3D printed rocket (~9 inches) that we launched in a nearby park in Westwood.

We mainly utilized OpenRocket to put together basic components, design the fins and run simulations. The software also allowed us to optimize our two main priorities- flight stability and the rocket's apogee- while also examining other crucial aspects of flight, such as the off-the-rail speed, maximum acceleration, and landing speed. Our rocket contained the Estes A8-3 engine and had a predicted apogee of 218 feet - screenshots from OpenRocket (draft, 3D view) are shown below.  

After running several simulations, our instructors gave us approval to begin the CAD process, during which we created the fins, body tube, and nosecone. Launch day was a success, but this was just a warmup for the next part of the class!

GHPR | Group High Powered Rocket

During the second half of the course, I worked in a group of five to build a large-scale, slightly more advanced rocket (~30 in.) that we launched at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) site in the Mojave Desert. This rocket, although based on the same concepts as the 3DPR, proved to be much more challenging- our ultimate goal was to launch an egg inside the nosecone of the rocket and recover the egg in one piece. 

This process involved a lot more trial and error - for instance, we'd find out after printing that the fins were 1/16" too thin or that the nosecone was far too small to fit an egg. To best protect the egg within a very limited space, we created a twist-and-lock case.

As a group, we planned the design of the rocket to optimize apogee, flight stability, and landing speed (to protect our egg). I helped document our project extensively, creating a design & manufacturing timeline, preliminary design review, and flight readiness review to present to our class. In addition, I learned how to dremel and cure carbon fiber to create the main body tube. The boat tail, nosecone, and egg holder were all 3D printed, while the fins, bulkheads, and centering rings were made of laser-cut plywood.

The rocket was powered by an Aerotech H135W-14A motor and had a predicted apogee of 3091 feet and a predicted off-the-rail speed of 94.3 feet/s. (Unfortunately, we had issues with the altimeter on the day of launch and were unable to collect actual measurements.)

Ultimately, we had a very successful launch and our rocket had a stable, clean flight path to apogee. Upon recovery, we found that the fins and the body were fully intact- and most importantly, so was the egg.