NORCO COLLEGE ROCKETRY
See you on the Launchpad
how to not be a ballistic missile 101
what we do
The goal of Recovery is to ensure that the rocket lands safely on the ground and we are able to find it quickly, no matter the terrain.
Recovery can be summarized by talking about its main components: parachute deployments, the avionics bay, the GPS system, integration with Structures, and CO2 ejection tests.
parachute deployments
The parachute deployment for our larger competition rockets is done using dual deployment. We use two parachutes, a main parachute, and a drogue parachute. The drogue chute is deployed first at apogee to slow down the rocket, and then the main is deployed when you’re closer to the ground to make sure the rocket doesn’t drift too much.
avionics bay
The avionics bay is the stationary portion of the rocket that we connect our shock cords and parachutes to, and most importantly, houses the electronics such as the GPS, main altimeter, redundant altimeter, batteries, and switches to turn everything on before the launch.
GPS system
We use a GPS inside our rockets in order to track our rocket after it’s launched and lands safely on the ground. This is especially important if you’re launching in the middle of a hot, dry desert, and want to find your rocket quickly and safely.
structures integration
Next, we have our integration with Structures, which is where we communicate with Structures so we can ensure that there’s room for all of Recovery’s components inside the rocket.
CO2 ejection charges
Then we have our CO2 ejection tests, where we test if our ejection charges will work and are strong enough so that our parachutes deploy correctly.
Recovery can be described as the most important system of the rocket, because we ensure that the rocket's parachutes deploy on time and we mark the difference between a successful launch and the accidental creation of a missile.