Control and monitor a flying rocket

Projects General Guidance
1

Hey there. I'm currently building an amateur soild fuel rocket which is going to fly 1000-1500ft high and I want to take it to the next level. I want to be able to do the following things:

  1. Control an electric current to ignite the motors and to open the parachute via the computer.
  2. Monitor the rocket's deviation.
    optional:
    maybe adding very small fans to help the rocket's stability.

I think that the major problem is how to communicate with a 1500ft high rocket

I'll be happy to hear your thoughts, how you would do it and what board should I use.

2
  1. Monitor the rocket's deviation.

Deviation from what?

3

how to communicate with a 1500ft high rocket

Wow. The Saturn V was only 365 feet high.

Try a rocketry forum.

Control of model rockets is forbidden in most civilised countries. Check your local laws.

4

I'm with AWOL on this.... are you building a guided weapon?

To correct deviation from a previously programmed path you'll need more than little fans.

The v2 used graphite vanes in the rocket exhaust to provide a vectored thrust - modern rockets use gimballs.

Not quite an amateur project.

Allan

5

There was a proposed alternative to the fin-guided Copperhead guided artillery rounds that used explosive charges to cause them to deviate in their trajectory.
I think this is my favourite.

6

Oh really AWOL ?? got a link?

Allan

7

No, sorry, it's from a half-remembered copy of Jane's Defence from the late 1980s/early 90s
The projectile had longitudinal strips of charges, fired by the (IIRC) GPS guidance system.(Copperhead is laser-designated)

I would have loved to have seen a live firing.
From a safe distance, naturally.

8

Soounds like a bonkers idea....

Check in bar sport for my contribution - 'duh'

Allan

9

The major problem is communicating with the board isn't it? is it even possible in such range of height? and if not, maybe a timer option will do the job of ejacting the parachute?

10

I would use the 3D Robotics boards and telemetry solutions. You can hook up the board with telemetry to the rocket, then have the usb telemetry stick on your PC, with the information of the current height, velocity, etc. They PC application is called Mission Planner, look it up, it might be able to help you.

11

Perperz:
Hey there. I'm currently building an amateur soild fuel rocket which is going to fly 1000-1500ft high and I want to take it to the next level. I want to be able to do the following things:

  1. Control an electric current to ignite the motors and to open the parachute via the computer.
  2. Monitor the rocket's deviation.
    optional:
    maybe adding very small fans to help the rocket's stability.

I think that the major problem is how to communicate with a 1500ft high rocket

I'll be happy to hear your thoughts, how you would do it and what board should I use.

Why do you want to communicate with it when its going out of sight at god knows what speed.
Your reaction times will be nowhere near quick enough to control it, most rockets have autonomous systems that do all the work.
You just sit back launch it and say "some expletives deleted" as it spears into the wild blue yonder.
Tom... :slight_smile: