L2 Rocket Launch

I independently designed, built, tested, and flew my personal Level 2 TRA certification rocket—demonstrating full-spectrum aerospace engineering ownership:

• System Simulation & CAD Modeling: Authored the entire vehicle in SOLIDWORKS and OpenRocket, iterating grain geometry, aerodynamic profiles, and stability margins to meet Level 2 altitude and performance requirements.
  
  

• Electronics Fabrication: Hand-soldered a dual-redundant flight computer and custom ground station PCB, including barometric, accelerometer, and GPS interfaces—ensuring robust signal integrity and reliable telemetry.
  
  

• Vacuum Chamber Validation: Built a small-scale vacuum chamber to test and calibrate the onboard barometric sensor under simulated altitude conditions; verified pressure readings within ±1 m of equivalent OpenRocket estimates.
  
  

• Pyro Mechanics Testing: Developed and executed static tests of black-powder and CO₂ ejection charges on my custom test stand, refining charge mass and vent path design for consistent drogue/main deployment at 3 000 ft and 4 500 ft set-points.
  
  

• Manufacturing & Assembly: Machined the airframe, bulkheads, and composite fins; fabricated the motor mount; hand-built the recovery bay; and integrated all subsystems—maintaining sub-millimeter tolerances throughout.
  
  

• Solo Flight Operations: Executed all pre-launch procedures—final electronics check, pyro charge loading, safety briefings—then launched to ~8 500 ft (Level 2 requirement), achieved Mach 0.9, and recovered the rocket within 75 m of the pad under dual-deploy recovery.
  
  

This Level 2 certification exemplifies my end-to-end proficiency in rocketry: from precision CAD and simulation, through electronics and mechanical fabrication, to rigorous ground testing and post-flight analysis.