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NERO  Projects H7 Rocket |
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The H7 Rocket |
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The purpose of the H7 project was to obtain experience with a
two stage rocket. Every rocket amateur feels the desire to build rockets that will go higher and hyper. The
building of two stage rockets is much more complex that single stage rockets. This is caused by the following
factors:
- Designing a reliable decoupling device is not easy -
- Flight control is more difficult, since the separation and foremost the ignition of the second stage is
only allowed when the flight is nominal -
- Recovery is more difficult, since the crochet will fly higher and therefore drift further away by the wind -
On the other hand, when these problems are solved, it is
relatively easy to reach higher altitudes by increasing the power of the used rocket motors. On these pages
you'll find more about the H7 project. |
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Design
[Top] [Contents]
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Beneath the layout of the rocket is given. Clicking the links will give more
information about the onboard systems. |
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Gyro's |
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Parachutes |
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Pyro systems |
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Flight Control |
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Separation mechanism |
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Motor |
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Look at the H7 photo's. |
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Overview H7 flights [Top] [Contents] |
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H7a
1995 |
H7b/H7c
1997 |
H7d
1998 |
H7e
1999 |
H7f
2000 |
| Technical
Data |
| Motor first stage |
Penta alfa
(+2200 Ns) |
Penta alfa 2
(2157 Ns) |
Penta alfa 2
(2150 Ns) |
Penta alfa 2
(2150 Ns) |
Penta gamma
(4000 Ns) |
| Motor second stage |
Koudou
(190 Ns) |
Penta 500
(+500 Ns) |
Penta 500
(+500 Ns) |
Penta 500
(+500 Ns) |
Penta alfa 2
(2150 Ns) |
| Start mass |
14,2 kg |
13,5 / 14,1 kg |
13 kg |
14 kg |
20 kg |
| Speed (max.) |
120 m/s |
140 m/s |
175 m/s |
155 m/s |
+355 m/s |
| Height |
1000 m |
1800 m |
1830 m |
1600 m |
> 4400 m |
| Diameter |
10 cm |
10 cm |
10 cm |
10 cm |
10 cm |
| Length |
252 cm |
212 / 215 cm |
205 cm |
215 cm |
250 cm |
| Systems |
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Decoupling system
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prototype |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
Recovery
1e stage |
single stage |
single stage |
single stage |
single stage |
single stage |
Recovery
2e stage |
no |
double stage |
double stage |
double stage |
double stage |
| Safe/arm system (2e stage) |
proto |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Situation Awaren. System (SAS) |
no |
no |
no |
inert |
active |
| Flight Control Computer (FCC) |
timers |
Finite State Machine
(in software) |
FSM s/w + pressure/acc-
sensors |
FSM s/w + pressure/acc-
sensors |
FSM s/w +
pressure/acc-
sensors |
| Data Acquisition System (DAS) |
no |
no
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on-board
(elementary) |
on-board
(acc, gyro's) |
on-board
(GPS) |
| Construction |
* over-
* dimen-
* sionated |
* 2e stage
* composite
* carbon |
* 1e/2e stage
* composite
* carbon
* substructure |
* antenna
* integration
* substructure
* sensors |
* motorcom-
* partiment
* carbon
* neuscone
* antennas |
Telemetry
1e stage |
no |
no |
no |
no |
beacon (?) |
Telemetry
2e stage |
no |
no |
UHF-proto |
UHF/video |
UHF/GPS |
| Uplink |
no |
no |
no |
no |
abort cmd |
| Purpose
and result |
| Qualification target |
Test:
* separation
* recovery
* 1e stage |
Test:
* FSM |
Qualification:
* recovery
* FCC |
Qualification:
* DAS
Test:
* Gyro's |
Qualification:
* aero
* Video
* SAS |
| Flight result |
Success |
no separation/
explosion 1e stage |
Success |
Success |
Success, Video film, 3d reconstruction with GPS |
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The H7a [Top] [Contents] |
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The H7a flight has the goal to test the decoupling
device. The second stage was nothing else than a long aluminium tube with a small rocket engine in it (500 NS).
Therefore a parachute system was not available and the second stage was planned to follow a ballistic trajectory. The
rocket flight could easily been followed by bare eye. About 400 meters (1200 Feet) above the tower both stages
separated successfully and the first stage parachuted. To our amazement the second stage survived the impact. The only
damage was done to the paint of the nosecone. |
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Read an evaluation of the H7a flight on 15 November 1995. |
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The H7b [Top] [Contents] |
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The H7b-flight had to prove the correct functioning of the flight control computer. The
rocket failed to separate, so the flight computer aborted the flight and did not ignite the second stage. The entire
combination landed using the first stage parachute. Due to the high rate of descent, the nosecone was damaged beyond
repair. |
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Read an evaluation of the H7b flight on 6 June
1997. |
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The H7c [Top] [Contents] |
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Accidents are always unexpected. As proven by the launch of the H7c. The rocket motor
was ignited by use of a small (bought) rocket engine. This ignition motor detonated in stead of burned. As an result of
this, the entire rocket, weighting more than 15kg was thrown tens of feet above the ground. The rocket separated in
midair, but fortunately got damaged when it hit the ground. This avoided ignition from the second stage. The first
stage appears to be heavely damaged by this accident. |
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Read an evaluation of the H7c flight |
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The H7d [Top] [Contents] |
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The launch of the H7d was the first successful flight from an NERO Haarlem rocket since
1998. The launch was being conducted in bad weather conditions. The sight was limited due to low hanging clouds and is
was raining from time to time. The launch was - as always - spectacular. The rocket raised very stable out of the
launching tower. Directly after the burnout of the first stage motor, the separation could be seen clearly, because the
distance between both stages increased. The second stage ignited and after the burnout of the Penta-500 motor, the
rocket disappeared in the clouds. Both stages landed softly and where recovered undamaged. |
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Read an evaluation of the H7d flight on 19 June 1998. |
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The H7e [Top] [Contents] |
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The launch from the H7e took place on 9 June 1999.
Important experiments where primarily the 3D reconstruction using gyroscopes. Secondary a new way of parachuting was
tested, where the hatch, the pilot parachute and the sleeve - used to deploy the main parachute in a controlled manner
- would not longer be lost. The latter experiment failed, however the second stage was only slightly damaged. |
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Read an evaluation of the H7e flight on 9 June 1999. |
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405KB
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Look at the H7e and H7f R-DAS data files, with the acquired data during
the flight. |
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Download the viewer fore the H7e R-DAS data file. |
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Read more about the Rocket Data Acquisition System (R-DAS). |
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The H7f [Top] [Contents] |
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The launch from the H7f took place in July 2000.
Important experiments where primarily the use of a GPS-unit and secondly the use of a video downlink. Both functioned
outstanding, what resulted an determination of the wind profile using the GPS data and a spectacular video film. The
used antenna was not transmitting equally strong in each direction, what resulted in the loss of the picture quality.
This is strongly the case after parachuting, when the rocket is pinning heavily. After the landing only slight damage
at the hull was determined. |
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Read an evaluation of the H7f flight on July 2000. |
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100 KB |
Look at the H7e and H7f R-DAS data files, with the acquired data during
the flight. |
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Download the viewer for the H7f R-DAS data file. |
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Read more about the Rocket Data Acquisition System (R-DAS). |
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Look at the result from the flight data projected in a aerial photo
from the launch place. |
3.8 MB |
Look at the result from the on-board video camera. |
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