The Tufts Rocketry Team's third entry into the International Rocket Engineering Competition 10k COTS category, The Kinetic and Dynamic Legendary Vertically Ascending Novelty, or KINDLEVAN, is a 6" diameter fiberglass rocket. Standing at 9.54', it flew to 9,915 feet in June 2026. KINDLEVAN was the team's first attempt at designing, building, and using an airbrake system, which deployed during the coast phase of flight after motor burnout. KINDLEVAN carried a CubeSat payload designed to measure changes in the efficiency of four solar panels during descent from apogee. KINDLEVAN's flight at the IREC resulted in the team's best placement to date, including a top-ten overall.
The goals for KINDLEVAN were to implement a robust sensor suite and control capabilities. These included: altitude and motion tracking for control of deployment energetics, high data rate logging and live transmission, trajectory modeling for optimization of control surface actuation, and photovoltaic efficiency monitoring. Additionally, a major focus of the project was the capture of high-quality on-board footage, as well as live video transmission, requiring control over camera activation and power supply. As such, the primary objective of the electrical and avionics subteams were the design and implementation of a series of custom flight computers that can accomplish these goals. These computers have received the designations of Panini, The Sun, and Greek Yogurt. In addition to these, a ground station capable of receiving the telemetry transmissions, with a custom computer designated as Focaccia, has been created, alongside a portable interface for that computer built off a Raspberry Pi. These computers are split between three sections of the rocket: the avionics bay, air brakes compartment, and payload. Each of these is accompanied by an isolated power system.
Panini is the primary flight computer for KINDLEVAN, serving a multi-purpose role within the rocket. It is a continuation of the design of the flight computer created for the team's previous rocket for the IREC in 2025. It is built around an ESP32 microcontroller, capable of performing the complex calculations needed for trajectory prediction and optimization as well as state determination. These calculations are reliant on the on-board sensor suite consisting of: two redundant barometers, a 6DOF inertial measurement unit, a 200 G range accelerometer, a magnetometer, a GNSS receiver patch antenna, as well as an SHT40 and a TMP1075 temperature sensor. The board also features an SD card module and a LoRa-capable transceiver module for telemetry data retention and transmission. Fast debugging and programming capabilities are provided by an on-board USB-C connector, which interfaces with the processor through a USB to UART bridge.
The flight computer, Panini, is also responsible for controlling air brake extension, which is done in order to control the rocket's achieved apogee during flight. Panini determines the optimal air brake extension by solving a nonlinear optimization problem, which determines an optimal trajectory. Panini then extends the airbraking mechanism according to this trajectory, collects new data, and repeats the process.
The purpose of the ground station is to display live flight data recorded by the SRAD boards on the rocket. In order to achieve this visualization goal, the ground station runs a Python program through Thonny, which relies on a combination of Tkinter and Matplotlib toolkits. Once the program is run on the ground station, there are no further inputs. The user can navigate the visualization screen to focus on different data outputs, but there are no additional features; the ground station is exclusively for visualizing flight data. In order to display live rocket data, the ground station first receives this data over UART Serial (wire) from Focaccia. The data received through RF by Focaccia is then sent over serial to the Raspberry Pi before it is stored locally by the reception PCB to its own micro SD card. After receiving this data, the Raspberry Pi then displays it on the ground station monitor by continuously updating its displays and graphs on the monitor based on this data stream.
The purpose of our payload is to determine how the efficiency of solar panels changes based on the altitude of the rocket during descent. We hypothesize that as the payload descends, there will be a decrease in current generated by the solar panels since the atmosphere will get thicker and absorb more sunlight.
The payload is a 4.4 lbs, aluminum 2U CubeSat form factor with four inset solar panels on each of the sides, with an internal SRAD computer collecting current output data. The payload deploys with the nosecone upon ejection of the drogue parachute at apogee. The solar panels are then exposed to sunlight throughout the entire descent. To measure the current output of the solar panels, we developed a PCB named "The Sun," which includes four current sensors, one for each solar panel, as well as a barometer and IMU to measure the altitude and motion of the payload as it descends. Data is stored on a removable microSD card, and The Sun is powered by four 7.4 V Samsung 18650 batteries.
We planned to use this data to quantify the efficiency of the solar panels as a function of altitude, but due to a combination of an unexpected delay before launch and a software bug, we were unable to collect any data in the time frame of the launch at IREC. We plan to perform a test launch in Fall 2026 to finally get data from our payload.
Each of the six sides on the payload exterior structure is constructed from aluminum 6061 and was manufactured to size in-house using a Bridgeport mill. The waterjet was used to cut out slots to run wiring from the solar panels to the SRAD board. All of the holes that hold the sides together were drilled using a drill press. The sides are fastened using #6-32 x 3/4 inch bolts. We chose aluminum 6061 due to its ease of access, machinability, and strength under shock loads during recovery. The payload takes the force of nosecone ejection and drogue deployment and must be designed to withstand that amount of force plus a factor of safety. Additionally, aluminum 6061 is relatively cheap and common for manufacturing, and we use it for many parts of the rocket beyond the payload.
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The six-inch fiberglass exterior of KINDLEVAN is the smallest commercially available airframe size which is able to accommodate the 2U CubeSat form factor. It was cut to length and squared to form the basic structure of the rocket. Cutouts were made in the switchband to provide easy access to batteries and other AV bay electronics. Other switchband cutouts accommodated the switches and the onboard camera mounts. Slots were cut in the aft airframe which the air brake leaves extend from when they are deployed during the coast phase of flight.
The payload structure was constructed out of aluminum 6061-T6 and fastened using 18-8 stainless steel socket head screws to ensure the head profile does not interfere with the 2U CubeSat size requirements. The walls of the CubeSat have pockets to hold the solar panels used in the experiment. A structural dynamic simulation in SolidWorks FEA was run to ensure the aluminum structure could withstand the shock loads of parachute deployment. The sled that holds the electronics within the payload structure was constructed out of 3 mm birch plywood.
The nosecone was purchased from a vendor and modified to accommodate a custom nosecone tip that was designed and manufactured in-house. This modification allowed the nosecone to serve as the structural housing for the rocket's GPS system while maintaining easy access to the electronics. The custom nosecone tip is secured to the assembly using a fiberglass rod that threads into a bulkhead which is epoxied to the interior of the fiberglass nosecone. A custom 3D-printed GPS mount is bolted to the metal nosecone tip and houses the TeleGPS V4, antenna, and battery. A 3D-printed guide installed on the nosecone bulkhead helps align the fiberglass rod during tip installation. This design allows the GPS to be removed after integration and minimizes the risk of the battery dying before launch. Below that, the 2U CubeSAT payload is mounted to the bottom of the nosecone with an adapter machined from aluminum 6061. It is equipped with a quick link that attaches to the drogue parachute, which is housed in the compartment just below the payload inside the forward airframe.
Similar to last year's rocket, the payload is integrated into the overall nosecone assembly and bears all of the load from drogue deployment at apogee. Since the payload measures the output of solar panels after parachute deployment, it needs to be exposed to sunlight as the rocket returns to the ground. To accomplish this, the team chose to mount the payload onto the aft end of the nosecone coupler tube. The payload is fastened to the payload bulkhead, which is located at the aft end of the coupler. The payload bulkhead is secured with two all-threads held in tension with another bulkhead at the forward end of the coupler within the nosecone. The coupler and the bulkhead were both attached inside the nosecone with Fibre Glast system 1101 epoxy, and cured at 85°F for 12 hours.
The booster was constructed out of COTS G12 fiberglass, which was cut and sanded to length. The removable fins were mounted through-the-wall using aluminum 7075 fin mounts epoxied to the G12 fiberglass motor mount tube. The removable fin mounts were attached to the motor mount tube with alignment rings and small 1101 epoxy fillets. Larger epoxy fillets were added to the outside of the aft airframe tube to complete the through-the-wall mounting of the fin brackets. We chose through-the-wall mounts because they have worked well for our team's rockets in previous years and reinforce the fins, providing sufficient strength.
The removable fins are some of the most heavily optimized components on KINDLEVAN, and they are also the most notable example of the testing-based optimization method. Extra care was given this year to characterize fin flutter through a detailed analysis involving calculations of flutter velocity across various thicknesses of composite materials.
These removable fins also allow for easy repairs should the booster sustain damage upon landing. Unlike fins with layups, removable fins can be swapped quickly. Removable fins also allow for pre-flight apogee tuning without the use of air brakes or other in-flight controls. By simply swapping for a lower or higher drag set of fins, the apogee can be modified as desired.
The air brake system uses a rack-and-pinion mechanism to convert the rotational motion of a DC motor into linear motion that deploys and retracts the braking surfaces. The mechanical assembly is integrated into the airframe and designed to transfer parachute deployment loads into the surrounding rocket structure. The internal structure supports and aligns the motor, pinion, and racks to maintain smooth and controlled deployment throughout operation. The assembly was designed with an emphasis on minimizing mass and packaging volume while providing sufficient stiffness and strength to withstand expected flight loads.
The thrust plate was designed to withstand motor thrust loads and was evaluated using both static and dynamic structural analyses in SolidWorks FEA. These analyses were used to optimize the part for weight while verifying that it could safely withstand the expected motor loading conditions. The thrust plate was programmed in Fusion360 CAM and machined by students using a HAAS VF2 mill. Grooves for increasing surface area for epoxy adhesion were post-machined into the walls of the thrust plate using a manual lathe.
The team also ran material testing on the adhesion strength of 1101 epoxy connections, for both fiberglass-fiberglass and fiberglass-aluminum interfaces. This informed the overlap distance for stop rings and the thrust plate to ensure sufficient strength. The testing built on our lap shear tests from last year, and our results corroborated the strength properties provided by the epoxy data sheets.
KINDLEVAN's dual-deployment recovery system was recovered as one body and performed perfectly at IREC. A 36 inch ripstop nylon drogue parachute deployed at apogee and an 84 inch Iris Ultra main parachute deployed at 1,200 feet. The target descent velocity under drogue was 98 ft/s and target descent velocity under main was 22 ft/s. The drogue deployment separated between the nosecone and the forward airframe. The recovery system utilized COTS ½ inch tubular Kevlar shock cords of varying lengths chosen to be around 5 times the length of the section of the rocket they are attached to, with some modifications to achieve the optimal recovery stack under the main to minimize in-air collision. These shock cords were tested to withstand about 6000 lbf.
The main deployment separated the aft side of the avionics bay and the aft airframe. We chose to house the drogue in the compartment between the nosecone and forward airframe to give the payload more time to collect data. Being exposed to sunlight throughout the entire descent gave our experiment the largest range of altitudes possible. When the nosecone separated at apogee, the payload pulled out of the forward airframe along with it. The booster did not fall ballistically; it tumbled with the rest of the stack. This was simulated and then validated during the first flight test and IREC launch.
We calculated the number of shear pins to prevent early separation of the main when the drogue deploys, also validated by our first flight test. The recovery scheme was controlled by one COTS RRC3+ and one SRAD flight computer that controlled the primary and backup CO2 energetics. For IREC, the COTS RRC3+ flight computers were used. CO2 was chosen as the energetic, since black powder would risk coating the payload solar panels in soot, rendering them useless. Additionally, testing CO2 in competition setting was critical to ensure a successful recovery with CO2 was possible and repeatable in the future when Tufts Rocketry competes in the 30K COTS category.
The Highly-Optimized Data-Gathering Explorer, or HODGE, is the Tufts Rocketry Team's 2024-25 project, designed as the team's second entry into the 10k COTS category for the IREC. It is a 6" diameter fiberglass rocket which stands 9.5' tall and flew to 10,203ft in competition. HODGE was the team's first foray into removable fins, and carried an electronics testbed payload. HODGE also represented a chance for the team to build upon skills learned the prior year with CARM, creating a much better fabricated and optimized rocket build.
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HODGE utilized a dual-deployment recovery scheme that was recovered in single bodied descent controlled by a COTS RRC3 computer controlling the Black Powder primary and backup energetic. HODGE utilized FFFFg black powder for primary and backup energetic, and the recovery system performed perfectly, with both charges firing during drogue and main deployment events (visible in on-board flight footage). HODGE utilized a 36 inch Ballistic Mach II CD 0.97 parachute that deployed at apogee, 10,000 feet. For the main parachute, a 84 inch hemispherical, nylon, Rocketman parachute was used, deploying at an altitude of 1,200 feet. HODGE descended with a target velocity around 36.8 m/s and 8.9 m/s under drogue and main, respectively. HODGE's drogue deployment separation occurred between the aft airframe and the avionics bay. HODGE's main parachute deployment separation occurred between the forward air frame and the nose cone (with the payload bay inside). HODGE's shock cords were made out of 11/16" tubular nylon and covered with kevlar cord protectors and SRAD sewn loops on either ends where quick links were attached. The sewn loops withstood a continuous force of 995 lbf. The length of each shock cord section was calculated based on the length of the section of rocket it is attached to and in which event it is deployed. These lengths were chosen to minimize cord entanglement and collisions between the rocket sections.
The CubeSAT-Adorned Rocketry Masterpiece, or CARM, is a 6" diameter fiberglass rocket designed for the Spaceport America Cup 10k COTS category. The robust development program, which includes three flight tests, aims to further demonstrate Tufts Rocketry's competency at building complex, capable projects. CARM's end goal is to carry a prototype CubeSAT (built by the CubeSAT project team) to 10,000 feet in altitude.
The "Dual-deploy Electronically-controlled Wickedly Intimidating Cloud Kicker," a.k.a. DEWICK, was designed to reach 10,000+ ft altitude and speeds of over 1000 mph (Mach 1.3). This project aimed to push the boundaries of our rocketry, design, and engineering knowledge, strengthen our team's operations, and prepare us for future high-altitude exploits.
This vehicle was powered by a commercial I-class solid rocket motor. The rocket served not only as a qualification vehicle for team members to become licensed high powered rocket users, but as an introduction to basic aerospace engineering principles for the inexperienced members of the team.