Luca 🇵🇸🇺🇦

And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading this thread, and stay tuned for more build updates (and hopefully a launch!)

The brains of the pad (and the rocket) is my Athena flight computer.

It's conformal coated so *should* fair well against the environment, but I'm working on an enclosure anyway.

Athena can receive commands via Bluetooth to trigger launches/aborts.

Water and power is supplied to the pad by this electrical box I stole from an old school project.

Yes it looks ugly, but it conveniently had the correct number/sizes of holes 🤷

The water deluge system features 10 nozzles angled downwards to spray water onto the blast plate (not present).

The system is enabled at T-4 and runs for 5 seconds, consuming about half a bottle of water. I'm hoping it will produce a nice amount of steam at liftoff.

The clamp is initially held in place by a supporting bar, which is knocked out of the way by a servo motor and pulled into the retracted position by a rubber band.

Pretty much as simple and reliable as can be.

The hold down clamps themselves are inspired by several other people's designs --

The pad itself consists of two parts: a hexagonal base and a hold down system. This allows the base to be compatible with multiple rocket diameters and clamp designs.

The base features interior channels for servo cables to be routed through.

-- I don't currently have access to a workshop, and I want to finish the build phase of this project before uni. The exhaust is still directed at a metal plate and water should help reduce hot sparks.

First, two points:

1. The water deluge and hold down clamps are mostly cosmetic and serve little function, but they were fun to build and look sick on camera ;)

2. I don't recommend 3D printing an entire pad! Printable plastics and rocket exhausts don't get along. I only did so because-

A quick rundown of my TVC Launch Pad, which I designed and built in just 4 days 🧵

STUFF UPDATE:

- L1 Attempt hopefully in the next 2 weeks.

- Flight computer dev is DONE

- My spare parts TVC project is coming along well. Might even squeeze a first flight in before uni 🤞Chutes, pad and simulation is all that remains.

narrator: it was in fact not L-24

Some key features:
- Onboard GPS chip
- Bluetooth Radio
- USB-C
- Dedicated telemetry radio ports
- 4 Pyro channels
- Servo voltage regulation
- Flash memory for in-flight datalogging, and an SD slot for offloading that data
- High-precision IMU and Barometer

I've spent the last week working on my most advanced flight computer yet to power both TVC and HPR flights.

I've switched to an STM32 microcontroller and moved all components directly onto the board. This improves flexibility and compactness.

1/2

bad news: launch event today got cancelled due to weather, so I wont be able to get my pre-cert qualification flights done before next Sunday.

Next opportunity for the cert flight is September :(

I've decided I'll pick up my TVC project in the meantime

*decimates NASA in favour of private industry then proceeds to decimate said private industry*

masterful gambit sir

generating soulless slop to say "we are not sheep" is so fucking sad

@torybruno.bsky.social gotta rep the vulcan swag

per. my. last. email.

will probably paint tmr

gonna do my L1 in this configuration, but I have an avbay and upper airframe pretty much ready to go for later flights

my boy

got some nice shots of filleting

done!

Progress! Next up: Gluing the fins.

Will showcase the avionics stack once I've tidied it a bit.

we need an asteroid analog horror

exams finished

L-24

HLS money doing wonders I see

what plumes are you using cuz holy shit

Red Arrows arriving in Liverpool on Saturday, ahead of Cosford Airshow

Comic. [rocket launching with a smaller rocket following] [caption] Aerospace Tip: Although the technique reduces atmospheric drag for many types of vehicles, you should *never* try to improve rocket launch efficiency through drafting.

Drafting

xkcd.com/3093/