Last Sunday, CUSF took our new rocket to EARS. We launched it twice, on an H143 and an H225 motor, and recovered it okay both times!

All the photos are on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuspaceflight/sets/72157628282044955/

And all the photos are on Vimeo: 1 2 3 4 5

Some highlights:

Launch 1 (handycam) from Cambridge University Spaceflight on Vimeo.

Launch 1 (slowmo) from Cambridge University Spaceflight on Vimeo.

Hopefully we’ll be launching two new rockets and this one a few more times next EARS meeting!

Nearly done soldering up this very prototype-y payload for the rocket on Sunday. It’s got a GPS (FSA03) being transmitted over an XBee (Series 2B, pro, 50mW) while at the same time an ADXL345 accelerometer is logged to an SD card on the OpenLog. All powered by a tiny little LiPo battery.

It’s pretty neat! Not entirely done yet (need to add a last-minute 3v3 regulator and reprogram the openlog) but should be in working order by Sunday.

The latest rocket is all painted! We’ve gone for a metallic blue on the fins and nosecone and matt black for the body. This should be launching on Sunday from EARS — our first rocket launch in quite a while!

Stay tuned for details on an experimental telemetry payload we’re putting together as fast as we can solder…

Further work rocket today — nearly all done now! Just gotta paint the thing and sort out a payload…

On Sunday we started putting together the first of the new kit rockets and now we’re waiting for epoxy to dry before we move on to the next stage.