Basic Information

Name

Z-1

Launch date:

14 October, 2014

Rocket description

63.5mm airframe (plastic)

4 fins, birch plywood

aluminum conical nosecone

2 ft. circular parachute

Payload

Raven altimeter

Liftoff mass

Flight objectives

- Conduct first flight of Zeta rocket

- Test new recovery system

Motor details

Motor name

A-100M

Propellant

KNSB-S (w/surfactant)

Grain mass

111 grams

Nominal impulse

130 N-sec

Class

G

Weather conditions

Temperature

10°C

Wind

S 10 km/hr

Sky

mixed sun & cloud

Other

-

Launch Event Description

Setup went well with no glitches. Clear sky confirmed, countdown commenced, and shortly after zero count, rocket rose rapidly skyward. After a few seconds, while the rocket was still rapidly coasting skyward, a ‘pop’ heard from ejection charge, followed by a second ‘pop’. Chute deployed and rocket drifted downward, with some oscillation. Upon landing, Raven beeped out apogee at 330 feet.

Flight Analysis

Event:

Time (sec)

feet

metres

Apogee

unknown

330

100

Separation

unknown

-

-

Main deployment

unknown

-

-

Touchdown

unknown

-

-

Range

114

35

Descent rates:

ft/sec.

m/sec.

Free-fall

unknown

-

Main parachute

unknown

-

Post-flight analysis and comments:

Apogee was significantly lower than expected. The backup apogee charge had not fired. Raven had confirmed, prior to flight, that all 3 charges were connected. Also, there was no Raven data captured. According to Adrian Adamson, who produces the Raven, there was a transient data recording problem. The exact cause of these anomalous events became clearer after flight Z-3.