Date of Award

5-5-2025

Degree Type

Capstone Project

First Advisor

Bahram Nassersharif

Abstract

The NASA University Student Launch Initiative (NASA USLI) is an annual engineering competition that challenges university teams to design, build, and launch high-powered rockets (HPRs) capable of meeting specific objectives. For the 2025 competition, the primary mission is to accurately predict the rocket's apogee, demonstrating precision in design and execution. The University of Rhode Island’s Mechanical Engineering Capstone Team 17H designed, built, and flown the rocket, using the engineering method. The team began by reviewing literature, patents, and prior competition entries to gain a thorough understanding of high-powered rocketry and to identify proven design strategies. Customer requirements were carefully analyzed, leading to the creation of detailed design specifications that guided the brainstorming and conceptual design phases. Concepts were systematically evaluated through analysis to identify the strongest attributes, which informed the final design. To validate the design approach, proof-of-concept rockets were constructed and flown, testing key systems and ensuring the safety and reliability of the final rocket. During this process, all team members achieved Level 1 certification from the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), qualifying them to handle and operate rockets with H- and I-class motors. This milestone was critical, as it allowed the team to work on the final design, which is classified as a Level 2 rocket based on its increased size, weight, and impulse. The final product was then designed, prioritizing safety, mistake-proofing, cost, manufacturability, reliability, ergonomics, and the environment. This design was analyzed and then built and tested. Based on results, aspects were redesigned for improved performance. During the second semester, the team focused on design iteration and continued rigorous testing, refining systems for maximum performance and reliability. The final rocket, standing 9 feet tall with a 6-inch diameter, was successfully launched during a full-scale test flight in Upstate New York. This phase demonstrated the rocket’s capability and validated the team’s extensive engineering work, serving as the final step before competition launch. The resulting prototype integrates precision engineering and optimization strategies to meet NASA USLI’s stringent requirements. The prototype maximized apogee prediction accuracy, and the team’s work represents a culmination of research, collaboration, and practical application of advanced mechanical engineering principles.

Comments

Team Name: Team 17H

Company Sponsor: URI Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and Systems Engineering and URI Department of Chemistry

Sponsor Representatives: Bahram Nassersharif, Brenton DeBoef, and Anthony Marchese

Document Reference: URI-MCE-402-17H-2025

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