Current Rockets Under Development

Hyak-3

SAC 2021

(Pending a suitable lack of COVID-19)
30k solid COTS

Hyak-3

SAC 2021

(Pending a suitable lack of COVID-19)
30k solid COTS

Dimensions

Length:  3.69 m (12 ft 1.3 in)

Diameter: 11.7 cm (4.61 in)

Propulsion

Motor:  Cesaroni Technologies N3800

Predicted max speed:  2,272 km/h (Mach 1.84)

Predicted apogee:  28,990 ft

Fin Assembly

Hyak-3 will sport an ultra-lightweight fin cage, a new drag-reducing boat tail design, and the second iteration of Hyak-2’s highly successful fin design.

Microfluidics Payload Project

Hyak-3’s scientific payload features a prototype of a microfluidics experiment studying the effects of microgravity on gene expression in yeast.

Black Box Payload Project

The Black Box flight data recorder is a joint effort by our payload and avionics subsystems to ensure we can recover flight data even in the event of a rapid unplanned disassembly.

Recovery System

Hyak-3 will feature a sleek revised main parachute release mechanism integrated directly into the main recovery bulkhead.

Previous Rockets

Hyak-2

SAC 2019

30k solid COTS

Hyak-2 was the second iteration of the team’s supersonic Hyak-series rocket, featuring an improved fin design in response to Hyak-1’s flight failure.

Dimensions

Length: 3.6 m (11 ft 9.7 in)

Diameter:  11.7 cm (4.6 in)

Lift-off mass:  28.1 kg (61.9 lbs)

Propulsion

Motor:  Cesaroni Technologies N3800

Max thrust:  5,097 N (1,146 lbs)

Max speed:  2,174.4 km/h (Mach 1.8)

Payload

Astrobiology experiment studying the effects of launch acceleration and microgravity on plants’ abilities to orient themselves during root growth (the gravitropic root circumnutation response).

Performance

Predicted apogee:  29,831 ft (target 30,000 ft)

Actual apogee:  None – suffered a rapid unplanned disassembly at end of motor burn.

Competition performance:  Unsuccessful flight.  Unknown cause – photos show the rocket entering a tight spiral at the end of motor burn, followed by a small “puff of smoke” from what appears to be the middle of the rocket, and then the drogue chute and other debris trailing out of the fuselage.  The fins, improved significantly after Hyak-1’s failure, managed to stay on, in tact, and barely damaged even after the motor casing embedded itself in the desert ground.

Hyak-1

SAC 2018

30k solid COTS
SDL Payload Challenge honourable mention

Hyak-1 was the team’s first attempt at a supersonic 30,000ft rocket.

Dimensions

Length:  3.5 m (11 ft 5.8 in)

Diameter: 11.7 cm (4.61 in)

Lift-off mass:  26.6 kg (58.7 lbs)

Propulsion

Motor: 

Max thrust:  3,746 N (1,071 lbs)

Max speed:  2,224.8 km/h (Mach 1.8)

Payload

Astrobiology experiment investigating the sterilization capabilities of rocket launch acceleration paired with capsaicin as a compound that inhibits DNA-repair mechanisms.

Performance

Predicted apogee:  30,367 ft (target 30,000 ft)

Actual apogee:  None – suffered rapid unplanned disassembly during motor burn.

Competition performance:  Unsuccessful flight.  Flight failure is presumed to be due to small imperfections on the carbon fibre-wrapped fins at their interface with the fuselage causing a pressure build-up that tore the fins off when the rocket went supersonic.

Skookum-1

SAC 2017

10k solid COTS
1st place SDL Payload Challenge

Skookum-1 was built to flight test the larger fuselage diameter required for our future student researched and designed hybrid-engine rocket.

Dimensions

Length:  2.8 m (9 ft 2.78 in)

Diameter: 14.2 cm (5.61 in)

Lift-off mass:  19.4 kg (42.8 lbs)

Propulsion

Motor: AeroTech M1850

Max thrust:  4,489 N (1,009 lbs)

Max speed:  997.2 km/h (Mach 0.81)

Payload

Astrobiology experiment investigating the compounding bacterial sterilization capabilities of rocket launch acceleration paired with exposure to UV light.

Performance

Predicted apogee:  10,118 ft (target 10,000 ft)

Competition performance:  Successful flight. Rough landing when main parachute failed to eject. Payload earned 1st place in the SDL Payload Challenge.

MVP-2

SAC 2017

10k solid COTS

Our second iteration of our successful MVP-style rocket improved on lessons learned from MVP-1’s launch.

Dimensions

Length: 2.48 m (8 ft 1.6 in)

Diameter: 11.7 cm (4.6 in)

Lift-off mass: 16.6 kg (36.6 lbs)

Propulsion

Motor: AeroTech M1550

Max thrust: 2180 N (490.1 lbs)

Max speed: 1047.6 km/h (Mach 0.85)

Payload

PocketQube cube sat containing a Slam Stick vibration data logger.

Performance

Predicted apogee: 9,888 ft (target 10,000 ft)

Competition performance: Successful flight. Rough landing when main parachute failed to eject.  Payload earned 1st place in the SDL Payload Challenge.

MVP-1

SAC 2016

10k solid COTS
3rd place in COTS division

MVP-1 (“Minimum Viable Product”-1) started as a senior design project before leading to the formation of the UVic Rocketry team.

Dimensions

Length: 2.51 m (8 ft 3 in)

Diameter: 11.7 cm (4.6 in)

Lift-off mass: 21.6 kg (47.6 lbs)

Propulsion

Motor: Cesaroni Technology Inc. M1400

Max thrust: 635.5 lbs (2827 N)

Max speed: 980 km/h (Mach 0.79)

Payload

Astrobiology experiment investigating the long-term effects of brief exposure to hyper- and micro-gravity on fertilized salamander eggs.

Performance

Predicted apogee:  10,400 ft (target 10,000 ft)

Competition performance:  Successful flight.  Placed 3rd in the 10k COTS category at Spaceport America Cup 2016.