Goals
The aeroshells, of which there are four (4), shall be mounted to the outside of the mission package tube on each stage. Each aeroshell must contain and protect a camera which records the flight of the rocket. The upward facing aeroshells shall capture the deployments of the recovery systems. The downward facing aeroshells shall capture the ignitions and staging.
The aeroshell design must be streamlined in shape to minimize drag.
The upward-facing and downward-facing aeroshells must be aerodynamically similar to the greatest extent possible.
The aeroshell shall thermally insulate the camera from both the external thermal loads of in-flight drag and the stagnation temperature experienced by the rocket.
The camera must not overheat inside the aeroshell when left on (includes pad time and flight time).
Aerodynamic Design
The aeroshell is streamlined on both ends. Its diameter is only minimally larger than the Foxeer Camera which it houses.
Aerodynamic Testing
CFD analysis will be performed in the future.
- Update 5/5/24: No aerodynamic or thermal simulations have been conducted on the aeroshells
Manufacturing
The aeroshell mold is 3D printed using PLA. A piece of heat resistant glass is cut to the required shape. Three layers of Carbon Fiber are attached to the exterior of the mold with an epoxy layup using a vacuum bagging technique.
We performed this procedure for two first-iteration aeroshells, but the carbon fiber did not bind well to the outside of the aeroshell. It is difficult to map the planar sheet of carbon fiber onto the steeply curved exterior of the aeroshell. As a result, a negative mold may be used in the next iteration.
Thermal Testing
In order to recreate the thermal loads experienced by the aeroshell, the aeroshell will be exposed to the stagnation temperature of 350°F using a heat gun for one minute. It will be mounted to a piece of fiberglass to emulate the exterior of the mission package tube.