Ok, folks. You have waited and waited patiently for it, and today is the day we reveal...

Welcome to the Kelly Engineering Challenge for WOOSH ECOF 2014 ----- “Relaunchable Rockets” -----

The official rules for the 2014 ECOF Kelly's Engineering Challenge. This will be the 6th year she has hosted this event. There have been a lot of great ideas built and flown in the past - we have some very creative people in our group, and we are looking forward to seeing what you can dream up for this one. As this is a particularly involved challenge, especially in keeping it within the NAR Safety Code guidance, we reserve the right to modify these rules as necessary when things we forgot get pointed out. While the rules seem complicated, they are actually intuitive when applied in context of a real mission. Some examples are included at the end.

July 2014 marks the 45th anniversary of our first landing on the moon. To commemorate that event, we will be replicating it on the barren surface of the Richard Bong State Recreation Area in southeastern Wisconsin. A few minor modifications will be required to comply with the NAR safety code, but basically, the rocket will fly once, safely land, gather a cheese sample, then launch and land again, simulating a return to Earth. (Hey, remember when they told us the moon was made of cheese?) Everything required to fly a second time, (to include launch guidance but NOT ignition circuitry), must have flown the first time. After the first landing, the lander will be moved back to the range, RSO’d, and launched by the LCO using the rocket’s onboard (flown) launch pad but with the range launch controller (LCO). Possible ideas would include a dual-purpose rocket (ala Buck Rogers), dedicated descent and ascent modules (ala Lunar Module), a sky crane (ala Mars Curiosity), airbags (Mars Spirit and Opportunity), etc. The descent portion of flight #1 must have, as did the lunar module, the ability to land upright, and it must necessarily hold itself upright during relaunch of the ascent stage. Reliability of first landing is clearly a critical design element.

The Apollo program was a learning experience for us, and we had some set-backs. The Apollo 1 capsule fire claimed 3 astronauts. But we bounced back, and the United States had a 100% success rate in lunar landings. EVERYBODY that landed on the moon came back to Earth (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17). Also, EVERYBODY that even got close to the moon came back to Earth (Apollo 8, 10, and 13). So, we believe, that with a one year advance timeline, midwest rocketeers should be able to have similar success, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. To simulate the challenges involved in the actual operation…

1. The rocket must fly at ECOF in 2014, under thrust of certified propellant (BP, APCP, or hybrid). Any motor class is allowed. The rocketeer must be certified to the level of combined motors flown. NAR safety code applies.

2. The rocket must land, be recovered, pick up a cheese sample payload, and fly again using only what flew in flight #1, to include on-board launch guidance (rail, rod, vectored thrust, …), but not ignition circuitry. There will be NO onboard ignition source to ascent stage motor. The 2nd flight must be from the active range. Rocket must be picked up from the 1st landing site, inspected by the event judge, then RSO’d and launched in sequence by the LCO, on the active range and utilizing the WOOSH controller. You only have what you flew. Nothing can be brought to the mission after the first launch. Things may be removed, however, if their functions become no longer necessary. See “transition event” simulation in rule #3.

3. Simulated events - Other than ejection charges used in normal recovery deployments, there will be NO pyrotechnics. This is to comply with the NAR Safety Code, with the added benefit of keeping participation costs down.

(a) NASA used a lot of explosive bolts to hold stuff together and separate them in flight. But not you. Therefore, events that would have been initiated with explosive bolts must be simulated. However, to simulate the ability to have engineered the equivalent, fliers are allowed to simulate a maximum of three “transition events” between flights. i.e., you can jettison a payload shroud and/or remove a parachute recovery harness from the descent / landing stage if it would otherwise interfere with the subsequent 2nd launch. Or, if you are using a the same recovery harness, repacking it would also simulate jettisoning the old. These events “cost” 3 points each, and must be declared pre-flight, i.e. you can’t re-purpose the function of the engineering you have intended. However, while the function of the simulated event must be declared in advance, the point deduction is not made until the simulated event is accomplished. Therefore, it is possible to use a simulated pyrotechnic device as a backup to a mechanical feature that might fail. For example - you have designed a protective clamshell that should mechanically open on landing. A simulated pyro charge is used as a backup and declared preflight. If the mechanical device functions as designed, no pyro device is needed so no points are deducted. If the mechanical device jams, (picture the Agena Target Vehicle’s gaping alligator mouth), you “blow open” the shroud with simulated charges and take the three point penalty.

* - Pyrotechnics is defined as using exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound.

(b) Igniters... the igniter for your second flight must be flown on the first flight, but isn’t required to be installed in the ascent motor until back on the range for your 2nd flight. No penalty for complying with this requirement or accomplishing this event.

(c) Cheese sample scooping... per Rule #2, the rocket must be inspected by the judge between flights. That is when we plan to distribute the cheese samples, so no need to add a remote controlled arm or scoop to pick it up. You can just add it to a suitable payload bay, tape it to the shock cord, etc. The cheese must be safely recovered after flight #2.

4. Design and operation of the vehicle will be judged prefight. Unique features should be described, and simulated events must be declared in advance. No secrets going in. Innovations in designs are always encouraged. Family friendly theme mandatory. Remember the judge is a twelve year old girl.

5. Only one qualifying series of flights is allowed per rocket. While practice flights are allowed, the qualifying 1st flight must be identified as such in advance, and the 2nd flight must follow. i.e. no “in-between” flights are allowed. There is no restriction on number of rockets per participant. If a participant makes two or more qualifying rockets, he may register and fly each of them as an individual entry. However, individual participants may not "sweep" the awards. While it is possible that two or more entries from one flyer could score high enough to each qualify for an award, there will be only one award given to any individual participant. (i.e. only the highest scoring rocket from each participant will count for First, Second, or Third place awards.)

6. Points are cumulative, with up to 100 base points total, plus the possibility of 20 bonus points. The bonus points may prove to be crucial, as historically a majority of participants have been within 6 points of the leader. Scoring as follows...

Pre-flight -

10 points for “Innovation in Design #1” - unique design features, including landing (1st flight) mechanisms
10 points for “Innovation in Design #2” - unique design features, including launching (2nd flight) mechanisms
10 points for “Quality of Build” (finish, smooth transitions, fin fillets, motor retention, overall structural integrity)
10 “Bank Points” that you can spend - everybody gets 10 to start with, minus what you used for simulated pyro events

1st flight -

10 points for “Quality of Flight #1” (stability, altitude, duration)
10 points for “Quality of Recovery #1” (recovery device deployment, lack of damage to rocket and/or pad / platform)
10 points for “Re-launchability” (post-flight repair possible if needed, ability to re-launch)

2nd flight -

10 points for “Quality of Flight #2” (stability, altitude, duration)
10 points for “Quality of Recovery #2” (recovery device deployment, lack of damage to rocket)
10 points for “Mission Success” (survival of and return of cheese sample)

Post-flight -

Bank points used - 3 points deducted for every simulated pyro event actually used
Bonus points added for each of the following -

3 bonus points - you land on the range and do not need to be moved other than to reach a set of igniter leads. must be witnessed by neutral party. (on range bonus)
3 bonus points - you land upright. must be witnessed by neutral party. (landing bonus)
2 bonus points - you flew adequate supplies to make suitable repairs between flights, whether or not they were used. shown to judge in preflight judging. used, if required, between flights. (spare kit bonus)
6 bonus points for duration of 1st flight of at least 20 seconds. (i.e. no 1/4A, lowest flight, closest to the pad, Snitch, etc...)
6 bonus points for duration of 2nd flight of at least 30 seconds. (i.e. no 1/4A, lowest flight, closest to the pad, Snitch, etc...)

__________________
AP used in 2010: 28,044 Ns (36.9% O)
AP used in 2011: 43,488 Ns (6.2% P)
Highest altitude achieved: 21,981' AGL

"Gravity is a cruel and unpredictable mistress"