IPN students develop a sounding rocket of sorts

Jonathan Rodríguez Castillo

, Ramón Córdova Muñoz , David Gómez Herrera , and Rafael Sánchez Zamora , graduate students of the Superior School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering ( ESIME ) of the National Polytechnic Institute ( IPN ) are developing a sounding rocket of sorts to transport electronic loads at heights between 5km to 10km.

The graduate students established the company Buró de Ingeniería y Diseño 360 ( Engineering and Design Bureau 360 ) at the IPN's Incubation Centre of Based Technology Companies ( CIEBT ) which promotes the creation and development of highly responsible based technology companies.

CIEBT

mainly focuses on the development and commercialization of drones , overall equipment for aerodynamic tests , and launch vehicles , such as sounding rockets.

On Twitter , IPN wrote in Spanish: "Graduate students of the Superior School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (ESIME), campus Ticomán, develop sounding rocket of sorts with Mexican technology "

A sounding rocket or research rocket is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight . The student's sounding rocket of sorts seeks to validate motor, aerodynamic, navigation, and propulsion tests.

According to the students, some of the first pieces of the prototype were made on a 3D printer using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ( ABS ) plastic , the fuselage was mainly made of cardboard and glass fiber, and aluminum or titanium for the engines.

It should be noted that the students designed the parachute release systems, especially for payload recovery , while the electronic system had to be aerodynamic in its integrity or it could disintegrate.

Overall, their sounding rocket was designed and engineered using CAD software , then built, and tested in the wind tunnels of Ticomán ESIME .

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