shoheiaoki

Test flight of the N-2 rocket

This was the first test flight that we tried before going to Malindi, but were unable to fly it because we ran out of time. The electrical team was using a breadboard, which shorted out when they loaded the circuits inside the rocket, and combined with the fact that it was approaching 18:00, they had no choice but to give the order to abort the flight.

This time, we solved the problems that arose during the previous launch. The circuitry was made on a printed circuit board instead of a breadboard, and improvements were made to the launch pad and launch lugs (the parts that attach the rocket to the launch pad). The launch was scheduled to take place in the morning, but work was always delayed. Unfortunately, I had to go to the embassy in the afternoon, and after 1:30 p.m., I left the university, leaving another faculty member to supervise the launch. I am now just waiting for reports from the students.

Maybe before 5pm, I received a post to the team’s Whatsapp group. A video of the launch was shared.

It is flying well into the sky. I could feel the excitement of the team from the video. It was unfortunate that I could not be there for the launch. But it was great that the team was able to make it.

The students provided a comprehensive launch report in the following article.

Second Test Flight Report (nakujaproject.blogspot.com)

According to the above, the transmission of the aircraft information (flight log) from the avionics and its reception at the ground station seemed to go well. The concern is that the parachute did not open, and at least this problem should be resolved before the actual launch. According to the student’s report, the data received at the ground station showed no trace of the apogee detected, but there were signs that the pyrotechnic for the parachute ejection was activated. In any case, it seems that the blast from the explosives did not generate enough force to overcome the dynamic pressure. The fact that the nosecone was neck-deep in the fuselage suggests that the nosecone needs to be redesigned.

22. April 2022
Categories: Nakuja project | Leave a comment

Visit Broglio Space Centre in Malindi

The Kenya Space Agency offered us to visit the Space Center in Malindi, and we were finally able to visit there with a team of over 30 people, including 3 faculty members from JKUAT, 21 students from Nakuja, 5 members of the nano-satellite development team, and also an intern from KSA. We are grateful to the Kenyan Space Agency for their kindness in covering the accommodations of the students. Despite some difficulties, we were finally able to obtain a school bus from our university. I would like to thank the university, especially the Deputy Vice Chancellor for his support, and the drivers who actually operated the bus. The trip was not short of topics, as the bus was unable to refuel in Malindi due to fuel shortages in Kenya, and an operation was carried out to have fuel delivered to the university to Mtito Andei, a stopover along the way.

The visit itself was very meaningful, and the biggest gain was that we were able to exchange opinions with people from the Italian space agency for the future launch of the rocket.