During their free time at ISAE-Supaero, Eric and Emilien worked on a suborbital rocket hybrid engine. The Griffon engine is capable of lifting 20 [kg] of payload up to 3000 [m]. Griffon engine uses 3D printed ABS as fuel and hydrogen peroxide as oxidizer. A third element, considered as an inert gas, is used to...
The Shuriken is a controlled airbrake mechanism for the Matterhorn Rocket. It plays a core role in the strategy to reach the precise altitude of 3’000m despite the uncertainties of the engine’s total impulse. Indeed, the idea was to select a motor ensuring an overshoot of the targeted height and to actively use the airbrakes...
The Flaps Module is a controlled airbrake mechanism for the Matterhorn Rocket which can substitute the Shuriken model, proving here the modularity given to our different systems. The Flaps Module has 3 big braking areas coming out of the rocket thanks to a combination of a motorized worm drive and mobile rods. The mechanism was...
The reefing technology consists of actively controlling the opening of the parachute. In the case of the Matterhorn Rocket, such a technology permits to directly deploy the main parachute at apogee but only fully inflate at low altitude. This way, with a single parachute, a high descent rate is maintained from 3’000m to 300m altitude...
This project represents the beginning of our collaboration. It is the story of a student team from the EPFL who wanted to become one of the pioneer European university to participate to the Spaceport America Cup. The objective of this challenge is to design, manufacture, pack, ship across the Atlantic, integrate and launch a rocket...
During our time at EPFL Rocket Team, Eric worked on our custom 3D flight trajectories simulator for our rocket launches. Taking in account the mass, fuel, aerodynamic geometry, air pressure, temperature, wind, launchpad tilt, this simulator helped us on some critical dimensioning of our rockets. Coded in Matlab, this simulator is also used to control...
PBMC SA, active in the material polishing business, from Les Brenets (CH) has chosen The Countdown Company to be their engineering office partner for the development of their actual and future machines. Multiple projects are in the pipeline, from existing models enhancement to complete new machine design. The Countdown Company is responsible for the studies,...
Tight deadline, complex system integration, electro-mechanical system with a potential space application: right in The Countdown Company’s sweet spot! The 2020 EPFL Rocket Team required a system to hold their main parachute during the first phase of the descent which is controlled by a drogue chute. At low altitude, this same system shall release the...
RUAG Space Mechanisms is a reference in the development of mirror actuators for inorbit applications. In order to compensate for the torque generated by the flex pivot guiding the rotation of a mirror, RUAG Space proposed their client to integrate a Torque Compensation Unit (TCU). This mechanism has a similar behavior to a mechanical spring...
Runway18 is a mechanic company for aeronautical aeroplanes, taking the challenge of renovating vintage planes. For a Navion from 1946, they needed to reverse engineer a specific part at the wing’s root. The first challenge was to identify the material used for the part as well as the production method of the alloy. The second...