UCLA Rocket Project - Odyssey 1

     This page illustrates the post-design production of the nosecone for Odyssey 1, UCLA Rocket Project's first launch of the 2017-2018 Academic School year. This rocket was intended as a test vehicle, that would ultimately be refined for competition in the Far Mars Competition in Spring of 2018.

Production

     

 These three pictures are of the nosecone during production. Pictured on the right is immediately after layup. 6 layers of fiberglass with evenly distributed 3300 3M High Temp Epoxy were applied over a a 3D print. Due to the size (41 Inches including the shoulder), printing had to be broken into 6 separate parts, which were epoxied after printing. The left two pictures illustrate the smoothed surface created by application of Bondo and sanding. A smoother finish could have perhaps been achieved by vacuum bagging; unfortunately, to decrease time and weight on the printed male mold, the layup structure was quite flimsy.

Pictured here is the nose cone atop the airframe during a static fire; this was intended to be a mock launch, in which all airframe components and integration are fully integrated. However, due to plumbing complications, the rocket was not ready for inclusion of the aeroshell. Nonetheless, the nosecone stands tall.

Launch

       Here is the fully assembled rocket, both on and off the stand with a freshly painted blue and white nosecone. On March 11, 2018 Odyssey successfully launched to an apogee of ~12,000 ft. 

After Launch

     Unfortunately, there was a recovery failure; due to an unexpectedly large horizontal velocity at apogee, the shock cords connecting the rocket to the parachute severed.

     All things considered, the nosecone survived admirably; nonetheless, competition will require starting anew with Odyssey 2.