Flight Computer & Rocket Design
2024 · Electrical / Embedded / Systems Integration
Summary
Completed Level 1 rocketry by designing, simulating (OpenRocket), and launching a certification rocket with a custom PCB flight computer for telemetry and recovery.
Level 1 is the entry-level high-power rocketry (HPR) certification, covering H and I class motors (up to 640 Ns total impulse) — a step beyond standard model rocketry. Certification requires pre- and post-flight inspection by certified witnesses through an organisation like the NZ Rocketry Association (NZRA), with the rocket recovered intact and flight-ready. The rocket must be stable (verified via OpenRocket), and the launch was completed through the University of Canterbury Aerospace club.
Key skills & tools
- PCB + firmware integration for flight hardware
- OpenRocket simulation and stability/fin iteration
- End-to-end test through launch and recovery