Projects
Odyssey- ERPL
Odyssey was the first project I joined on campus during my freshman year at Embry-Riddle. The club that the project is a part of, Experimental Rocket Propulsion Lab (ERPL), was one that I had planned on joining before I arrived. It is a hands-on organization with many different projects that students can join, regardless of their experience. I knew that I wanted to gain applicable experience as soon as possible and ERPL's Odyssey project stood out to me.
Odyssey's goal is to create a hybrid rocket engine that can be used in other projects. My role on the team initially was just to observe and learn what was going on, but as I continued to show up, I understood more of what was going on.
My first real task was to model a potentiometer, a device used to measure voltage. It was a small task, but I was just glad I could help in a physical way.
I've learned a lot after a year with the team, and I plan on getting more involved with the club. I hope to share more photos and videos with the finished project later down the line.
Launch Vehicle- EGR101
During my second semester in my intro to engineering class, I was thrown into the deep end of engineering, being tasked with designing a launch vehicle. The vehicle would have to take a 5,000 pound payload into low earth orbit from Kennedy Space Center. Although it was just a hypothetical project with many steps laid out for us, the task was challenging for our team of first year engineering students.
The project was a huge success though, and it taught me the most applicable lessons of anything I learned freshman year. From determining what materials to make the bulkheads, to calculating the trajectory with different engines, and even to modeling the rocket in CATIA, this hands on project showed me what kind of work I'll be doing in the aerospace industry.
Artemis MKV- ERFSEDS
Another club project that caught my eye freshman year was Embry-Riddle Future Space Explorers and Developers Society's (ERFSEDS) Artemis project.
This project has a long history, one that started well before I got on campus, but is continued year after year, improving with every generation. The fifth iteration of this two-stage rocket is set to compete in the Spaceport America Cup. It is designed to reach upwards of 16,00 feet in 2024 during the competition.
I joined the project during fall of 2022 with not much idea of what was going on. I helped research how to implement the second stage ignition, and will continue to help with the project during my sophomore year, maybe even traveling to New Mexico next summer for the competition.
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