Our rocket can be broken down into individual subsystems.

Here is a short overview of all of them.

Payload (Muon Detector): Bernoullis Payload is a particle detector, compactly installed in 3 standard CubeSat units (U). The system relies on a waveform digitizer, which converts inputs from 16 Channels simultaneously. This allows not only counting, but also precise measurement of angle of incidence. In case of a successful launch, the theory of special relativity can be proven using measurement data, among other things. Because of its versatile application, a particle detector can be implemented in future Aris missions which aim for greater heights.

Recovery (Autonomous Guided Recovery System): At apogee the Nosecone separates and a drogue parachute deploys, slowing the rocket to 28m/s descent velocity. At 450m AGL the main parachute deploys. Once stabilized, the Guidance, Navigation and Control software steers the parachute in an slalom formation with a descent speed of 7m/s. Finally, approximately 50m AGL, the parachute is steered into a straight line while further slowing the rocket down to a touchdown velocity of 6m/s to prevent damage.

Avionics (Flight Electronics): The Avionics section comprises all the electronics in the rocket body with the main flight computer at its heart. The PCBs are arranged in a modular stack design and house the centralised power supply, telemetry, various sensors, GPS and the control circuitry for actuators in the Engine and Recovery section. The main flight computer, a Raspberry Pi Compute Module, runs a finite state machine, a state estimation algorithm, and the guided navigation control for the steering of the parachutes. A second Raspberry Pi is used to record and stream the rocket’s surroundings from the view of two wide angle cameras.

Structures (Structural Integrity): From the tip of the Nosecone down to the bottom of the boattail, every structural element is covered by the Structures subteam. Their main objective is the structural stability and integration of the whole rocket, ensuring that we make it to apogee and back as Team BERNOULLI. In the early stages, Structures is responsible for designing parts and validating their designs using tools such as FEM analysis before transitioning to in-house manufacturing and assembly of the rocket towards the later half of the project.

Engine and Tank (Hybrid Rocket Engine): The next generation of ARIS hybrid rocket engines. Student Researched and Developed (SRAD) by the BERNOULLI engine team. Our engine uses nitrous oxide as the oxidizer, stored at 60Bar in a structural run tank. This oxidizer flows into the combustion chamber where it reacts with the solid grain to provide 5500N of steady state thrust to BERNOULLI.

Simulations: Simulations are a vital component of the BERNOULLI project, playing a crucial role in predicting the rocket’s apogee and stability during flight, as well as providing state estimation for guided recovery. The in-house developed simulation tool offers valuable insights into the behavior of the rocket throughout its mission, from launch to recovery.

Ground Station (Mission Control): BERNOULLI’s Ground Station consists of senders and receivers that communicate with the rocket via telemetry. Mission critical control signals such as arming, ignition, launch abort and emergency spiral triggering can be sent. During the filling process, crucial data about the Engine’s section can be monitored. It also allows for viewing the flight via the onboard livestream cameras as well as reading out and recording flight data live.

Remote Filling Station: The remote filling station provides the rocket with oxidizer and power. Approximately 22kg of liquid oxidizer are filled into the tank. Additionally power is provided for all the electronics of the rocket while on the launchpad. The entire station is designed for operation in any environment, from hot and dry to cold and wet.