Mission

Project NICOLLIER is the 2023/2024 Competition Team of ARIS. As this we will design, manufacture, test and ultimately launch a sounding rocket. The launch will take place in collaboration with other student rocket teams coming together from all parts of europe.

Apart from a successful launch we have set ourselves multiple goals: The design concept of our rocket is especially focused on safety and reliability. This ensures the functionality of our rocket but also sets it up for great integration in the future.
We have implemented multiple core systems in our rocket starting with a Guided Recovery System as well as a modular Avionics Stack and Airbrakes. These systems enable us to launch to our target apogee in a highly precise way and then recover the rocket to a previously determined position while maintaining to be extremely adaptable.

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We will launch our rocket in Wichlen, Switzerland. Our team has conducted multiple Drop Tests there already and now uses the scenic mountain range for our launch. It enables us to test all our systems in a secured environment.

Our rocket contains 5 either largely improved or even totally new systems representing our innovation to push the boundaries of academic rocketry.

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Design
Manufacturing
Testing
Launch

We have finished our Design, Manufacturing and Testing Phase. This means that the rocket is fully designed, all out-house parts have been delivered and all in-house parts are manufactured. We have tested all parts and ensured the functionality. We have also conducted full system tests to ensure the readiness of the team.

We are now in our final preparation steps towards the launch.

System Overview

Full RocketFull Rocket transparent

The nosecone is at the very top of the rocket, in-house manufactured and made of carbon fiber. It is capable of getting a pitot tube implemented which is used for speed measurements. The main duty of the nosecone is to safely house the Payload and redirect the air in front of the rocket in an aerodynamically efficient way to ensure little drag, and stability of the rocket.

The Payload sits inside the nosecone. It is independent from the rest of the rocket and can be easily removed from it. However if it is installed it is robustly implemented and capable of data gathering. We have multiple options for suitable Payloads including a muon detector or a CanSat in collaboration with other Teams and Organizations.

The parachutes are the base of the guided recovery system, without them we would not be able to slow the rocket down in the magnitude needed. We use two different parachutes: The droguechute is deployed with the separation of the nosecone, it slows the rocket down to a vertical speed of 30m/s. At approximately 800m altitude the mainchute is deployed. It slows the rocket even further down (approximately 9m/s) and is connected to steering lines. This enables us to steer the rocket in the targeted flight pattern.

The Guided Recovery System is a in-house developed system unique at EuRoC. After apogee is detected we separate the Nosecone from the rocket using a Mechanical Separation system based on loaded springs. After the main parachute is deployed we use two motors to control the steering lines of the chute. With this we can adjust the flight path of the whole rocket. We use different software approaches and strategies to guarantee the most precise landing.

The Avionics System is the brain of the rocket. It collects and processes all the sensor data while constantly communicating with the ground station. It is also responsible for the control of the air brakes and separation signal.

Air Brakes are a system used to precisely navigate the rocket to the aimed altitude. Using a controller we symmetrically extend aluminum plates away from the rocket’s body. This significantly increases the drag of the rocket, thus, slowing it down. We use an Engine slightly stronger then needed for 3000m and then use this system to precisely reach the 3000m altitude.

We use a Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solid state engine. Solid stage engines are rather simple to build but we largely benefit from their reliability and robustness. We decided against developing an in-house engine to focus on our Guided Recovery System and other technologies.

The Fin design is crucial for multiple aspects of the rocket’s. A good fin design is necessary to reduce the total drag of the rocket, but even more important to guarantee a stable flight. The fins are designed in connection with the Nosecone while considering the dimensions and weight of the rocket.

Timeline & Milestones

SDR

The System Definition Review (SDR) is the first of multiple reviews. The Team internally defines the targeted achievements for the Project and which systems they want to use to reach those achievements. All of this is then presented to ARIS Alumni who share their feedback and knowledge to avoid mistakes made by previous teams and to give technical input.

The SDR was done on the 20.10.2023.

PDR

Up until the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) we finalize our concepts, work on the design of the rocket and create our first models. We then present our knowledge to alumni and externals who are specialists on the respective fields. We use the feedback to rethink design choices and improve our design.

The PDR was done on the 10.11.2023.

CDR

The Critical Design Review (CDR) is the final design review of our system. We, like in the PDR, present our system and ideas to alumni and external. We present a full design with all design decision, CAD models and Simulations. Our goal is to present a finished system with little to none changes necessary after the CDR. However we will still adapt our system on the feedback if we find better solutions.

The CDR was done on the 15.12.2023.

RR

The first Readiness Reviews are on a sub team basis. All sub teams present their system to alumni specialized on that field. They focus on how the system works and relevant safety factors. The reviews are in place to ensure that all sub teams are prepared for their respective testing campaign so that they do not cause harm to neither the system nor personal.

RR

The final Readiness Review is full team wide. It is done after all tests are done and thus shortly before the launch. It is done to confirm that the team is prepared for the launch itself. It is necessary because the complexity of the launch and the possible risk goes beyond the one of the sub team test.

Launch

The Launch is the climax of our project. We will collaborate with other student teams internationally to launch together and exchange our knowledge.

We Are NICOLLIER

We are a Team of 43 students from multiple different Universities in and around Zürich, but still growing every day. We come from various different backgrounds ranging from business over natural sciences to mechanical engineering and have multiple nationalities all united by our interest in rocketry.

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