Tufts SEDS rocket soars to success
August 12, 2024
The Tufts Students for the Exploration and Discovery of Space rocket, known as the CubeSat-Adorned Rocketry Masterpiece (CARM), participated in the 10,000 feet category at the Spaceport America Cup in June. In keeping with naming conventions from the team’s previous rockets, CARM is also a reference to Carmichael Hall, a dining hall on the Tufts Medford campus.
After two successful test launches during the spring semester, the rocketry team continued to iterate and improve upon their design. Team members completed several critical design reviews, where they received feedback on their design from students, faculty members, and experts in the field. During its final test launch a month before the competition, the rocket got stuck in a tree. Although the team recovered a third of the rocket, they needed to quickly rebuild the rest of the rocket in order to compete.
Over the summer, club members who lived near the Tufts campus continued to work tirelessly on rebuilding the rocket, but the project was not complete by the time the team traveled to New Mexico for the competition. Undeterred, team members turned a hotel room into a workshop and finished just in time for a final flight safety review.
At the Spaceport America Cup, the team’s rocket soared to a height of 9,500 feet, which was the team’s highest flight to date despite poor weather conditions. During the course of its flight, CARM reached a maximum speed of 630 miles per hour. The rocket was recovered successfully in the New Mexico desert several hours after launch. Team member Aidan Hoidal-Bui, E27, said, “It was an amazing experience and we received full points for our rocket launch!”
The team ranked impressively among the competitors, ranking 18th in the 10,000 feet category and 33rd overall out of 152 teams present. Among the 26 first-time teams, the Tufts team placed 6th best overall. “We are all extremely proud of what we’ve managed to accomplish in such a short time and against such odds. It’s a true testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team—and to the progress SEDS can enable at Tufts,” said Nico Moldovean, E25, who led Tufts SEDS’ rocketry team.
April 3, 2024
Successful test launch for Tufts rocketry team
For the first time in the club’s history, the student group Tufts Students for the Exploration and Discovery of Space (SEDS) is building a competitive rocket to participate in the Spaceport America Cup. Each year, nearly 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities around the world gather in New Mexico to compete in rocket launching to 10,000 and 30,000 feet. The Tufts SEDS rocket, known as the CubeSat-Adorned Rocketry Masterpiece (CARM), will be participating in the 10,000 feet category in June. “Three years ago, the Tufts rocketry team had nearly died out. Going from that to the world’s most prestigious rocketry competition in such a short period of time is an incredible testament to the passion, hard work, and dedication of the entire team,” said Rocketry Team Lead Nico Moldovean, E25.
CARM recently took its first test flight. “It was a success in many ways, as CARM broke several team records and was recovered intact,” said Mechanical Team Lead Nicholas Martin, E24. Made from fiberglass, the six-inch diameter, 12-foot-tall rocket is built to carry a prototype CubeSAT which another Tufts SEDS team is developing. CubeSATs, also known as nanosatellites, are small satellites that can be built with commercially available materials. Tufts SEDS’ CubeSAT aims to detect and identify space debris.
The rocketry team has found success with their early tests, but there is still work to be done before the rocket is ready for the competition. The team recently completed their second Critical Design Review, where they received feedback on their design from students, faculty members, and experts in the field. Moving forward, the team will conduct another test launch to gather more data and thoroughly validate the rocket’s updated design before the competition, followed by a final Flight Readiness Review.
Tufts SEDS is associated with SEDS-USA. The organization welcomes students of all disciplines and experience levels, providing hands-on opportunities for students to develop their technical and project-based skills. With five distinct project teams – rocketry, CubeSAT, astrophotography, weather balloon, and radio telescope – Tufts SEDS offers a rich experience for students who are passionate about all aspects of space.
Department:
Mechanical Engineering