This year, we aim to launch three rockets and develop two new designs including a two stage rocket. Our goal is to compete in the National Rocketry Championship (UKSEDS) and the Mach 25 competition.
This year the team will continue to develop the swarm drone concept to create a fully functioning system. Moreover this team will also be working on a racing drone which we hope to enter into competitions!
The main objective of this year is to build the ground station we designed last year and hopefully transition it to Phase 2 to make it omni-directional. Towards the end of the year, we plan to join the Mach-25 competition where we will develop a small CanSat satellite and, in partnership with the rocketry team, launch it off a rocket!
This year the RC Aircraft team will be having an internal competition. Members will be split into teams and will be working together to design, simulate and build an RC Aircraft. Then they will compete against each other and be assessed so that we can decide which team wins!
2023/2024
This year our society went through a revival process after Covid-19 and graduating years. This is the first year of the New Warwick Aerospace. Projects started in January (hence why some are continued on to the next academic year). This year we had 4 projects.
Rocketry:
The rocket division of Warwick Aerospace designed and modelled a medium-scale rocket powered by a G class motor. Read more about the project here.
Update: Our rocket design has been approved by Midlands Rocketry Club and we aim to launch early February.
We worked on developing drones and autonomous systems in various applications. The objective was be to fabricate a swarm drone with collaboration with Robotics society with Search and Resecure capabilities. The Drones team were able to build a prototype last year so click here to learn more!
Satellites:
The satellite division designed a ground station for communication with low earth orbit satellites. The team is ready to start building as soon as the next academic year starts! For more information click here.
RC aircrafts:
This year the RC aircraft division designed an aircraft that incorporated advanced avionics, such as targeting systems, and mechanical elements like payload delivery . We plan to create a plane that can be used for a variety of functions.
Got your own idea? Let us know!
2018/2019
This year we’re working on continuing our ongoing projects, as well as some smaller ideas aimed as short introductory projects.
Although the drone has been flying before we’re working on some changes. We’re looking to have this up and flying again soon though!
High-Altitude Ballooning:
Progress with the balloon has been slow however we’re eager to get it up this year. We have all the equipment and are currently working on the payload. Hopefully with a camera mounted on the body we can upload some fantastic images!
UKSEDS National Rocketry Championship (NRC)
We’re currently planning out our rocket for the UKSEDS National Rocketry Competition. We have targeted to take part in the competition in June of 2019. Keep an eye on our twitter or instagram page to follow our progress!
2017/2018
Send experimental hardware, scientific experiments, radios and cameras to 30 kilometres above the ground! High-altitude ballooning allows us to reach altitudes that we won’t get to by rocket for at least a few more years. Also, getting pictures from the upper atmosphere is always cool.
2016/2017
This year we’re working on continuing our ongoing projects, as well as some smaller ideas aimed as short introductory projects.
The quad-copter is built but is currently best described as “finicky”. We’re aiming to get this flying early in term 1, then working on the autonomous aspect.
3D Printed Orrey:
Orreys are small models of solar systems, which rotate relative to each other. We’re aiming to build a model of our earth, sun and moon; with the aim for expanding to include other planets in the solar system.
2015/2016
This year we’re working on four main projects: two are returning from last year, and two are new – specifically aimed at attempting to create autonomous robots.
We’re aiming to build a small RC quadcopter drone, programming it with our own stabilisation software. The eventual goal is to make it a drone: entirely autonomous.
Rover:
We want to build a small Mars style rover, either with tracks or 6 wheels. The advanced goal is for it to explore a room autonomously.
Send experimental hardware, scientific experiments, radios and cameras to 30 kilometres above the ground! High-altitude ballooning allows us to reach altitudes that we won’t get to by rocket for at least a few more years. Also, getting pictures from the upper atmosphere is always cool.
UKSEDS National Rocketry Championship (NRC):
It’s NRC time again!
2014/2015
This year we’re working on four main projects: two specifically aimed at exploring technologies that’ll be useful for reaching space, and two others to give new rocketeers a hands-on introduction to high-power rocketry and high-altitude ballooning.
Send experimental hardware, scientific experiments, radios and cameras to 30 kilometres above the ground! High-altitude ballooning allows us to reach altitudes that we won’t get to by rocket for at least a few more years. Also, getting pictures from the upper atmosphere is always cool.
Torch Igniter:
The smallest useful piece of hardware for a liquid-propellant rocket engine: essentially a tiny rocket engine whose exhaust ignites the main engine. Developing a small reusable liquid-propellant engine would open up a lot of opportunities, and the experiences of other experimental rocketeers have shown that an igniter is the best place to start!
Actively Stabilised Rocket – Hummingbird:
The typical amateur rocket flies in a straight line because of the aerodynamic effects of fixed fins. We’re trying out something more advanced: stabilising a rocket actively by gimballing the motor in response to sensor readings from an Inertial Measurement Unit, allowing for a gentler take-off acceleration and a trajectory that’s affected much less by wind. By building a small hovering rocket, we can make frequent test-flights to test control systems without risking the loss of a big expensive vehicle if something goes wrong with the control system.
UKSEDS National Rocketry Championship (NRC):
After coming 2nd last year, we are back to claim the title of “UK’s greatest aerospace society”.
2013/2014:
UKSEDS National Rocketry Championship (NRC):
Some of our members worked on building a rocket for the first UKSEDS National Rocketry Championship! The goal: to build a rocket to launch an interesting scientific or technological payload to an altitude of 1000m and return it safely to Earth, with the rocket ready to be reused.
Warwick Aerospace 