As undergraduate engineering students with passion to innovate and use theoretical knowledge in practical area, we decided to design a rocket. We would like to start the designing process by forming separate but coordinately working groups including fuel group, engine design group, material group, aerodynamic design group, control systems group. Also, we defined some objectives for rocket such as using biofuel (the fuel not determined specifically also this can be changed according to the feasibility) and being reusable.
In order to know what kind of rocket you’re going to build, you need to know its requirements.For the sake of this hypothetical example, let’s say the new rocket you need to build is to be designed for the purpose of human exploration of deep space. Specifically, it’s going to be the rocket that will enable human missions to deep space, far and away the most ambitious task ever undertaken in space flight history. So you take the best data you can get and figure out what it takes to execute those missions. The general thinking is that you’re going to need multiple launches to carry out the mission, but even with multiple launches, there are going to be some really big pieces. You’re going to have to be able to lift at least 130 metric tons of stuff (a.k.a. payload) into Earth orbit. Many engineers think your lander may measure up to 30 feet across, so you need a payload volume big enough to carry it. You listen to a lot of ideas. And I mean, a LOT of ideas. You start creating rocket designs. You work from a blank sheet of paper.You start creating rocket designs. The challenge is designing the BEST rocket for the mission. You must think about, multi-stage rocket, using the kerosene fuel that powered the rocket instead of the shuttle’s liquid hydrogen; a rocket built from components based on current smaller rockets, taking advantage of industry successes; and a design that would be an evolutionary step from systems used on the space shuttle. External constraints had to be considered – in addition to the guideline that the rocket had to support human deep space exploration. Any qualified design would be judged by how well it met standards of safety, affordability and sustainability. The time and cost needed to design, build, and launch it was too great. The smaller-rocket-derived design, in contrast, offered development advantages over the kerosene vehicle since the existing hardware and support systems provided a head start, but its complexity counted against it in the safety measurement. The remaining design, based on a combination of upgrades to shuttle systems and new developments, provided advantages in shortening development time and reducing costs, and offering safety advantages through the use of proven propulsion systems.
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