After receiving her Tripoli level 1 certification last November, the time had come for her to tackle the challenge of Tripoli Level 2. So last weekend, she went to Cernier, NE, to launch her rocket with a dual parachute system. As with any rocket launch, some challenges appeared on Launch Day. Fortunately, there was none that our brave Launch Officer could not handle. She managed to have a successful launch resulting in Constança getting her level 2 certification! Congratulations to our Launch Officer! In the next few weeks, her next steps will be to take on the challenge of the Maiden Launch procedures and allow us to have a safe launch in Switzerland.

The Tripoli Launch was not the only launch of the day for team HELVETIA. Last October, our recovery team had decided to integrate and test their entire system in a small-scale rocket. The goal was to use the opportunity offered by the Advanced Rocketry Group of Switzerland (ARGOS) and have a flight-proven design long before our first launch. What started as a small idea last autumn resulted in an incredible amount of work and preparation. They went from a virtual design to an entire system in only five months while still prototyping and iterating on their system. Many sleepless nights, days of work, and passion made this timeline work. While problems arose every step of the way, our recovery team gave their best to make the launch happen. To name only two problems that arose:
– Just a few days before, they had to reinforce the ARGOS rocket only a few days before launch to guarantee that the structure holds
– Due to the chip shortage and supply chain delays, the electronics team could only start working on the second side of the fully redundant electronics system two weeks before the ARGOS launch and managed to get the system ready and tested in time for the ARGOS launch.
Finally seeing the parachutes recover the ARGOS rocket at an apogee of 700m was an exhilarating experience for the entire team. We congratulate the whole recovery team and want to thank them for their motivation and hard work. As a result, the recovery system of HELVETIA is now officially launch-ready, over a month before the Maiden Launch window opens! A feat that had never been achieved before in the history of ARIS!
The next steps for our recovery team will be to test further their system for the conditions of the competition launch and the environment of the desert, but first, they will go on a well-deserved break of a few days.