seds_ucsd

NASA mentors and lots of library time! Many of us have aerospace or chemistry classes, but most of what we've learned has been through library or online resources – and now, from graduating SEDS members and alumni.

We've been lucky enough to have some NASA mentors who have stuck with us through the years and encouraged our growth. Particularly for our Colossus test stand, our NASA mentors have been invaluable in their guidance with our critical design reviews.

Thank you! The CubeSat format was designed with packing and deployer space efficiency in mind. The cube shape was chosen because it's much easier to pack multiple cubes on a rocket as opposed to packing cylinders. The cylinder format for larger satellites is designed to fit within the fairing on a cylindrical rocket, and so is the most efficient use of that space.

We chose to design Triteia with a hydrogen peroxide propulsion system (90% concentration) to enable a new mission profile for CubeSats. Current electric/ion drive options would get a cubesat to lunar orbit in weeks to months, while a chemical propulsion system would allow Triteia to reach lunar orbit in a week. The lifespan of our fuel is based on required station keeping. Our astrodynamics team has designed an orbit that is stable for 400 days, after which we would be able to extend the mission lifespan by a few more months.

As for pineapple on pizza, we put it to a vote in our group chat. We're split half and half, and now tensions are rising.

Our rocket thrusters Callan and Vulcan-1 are printed through DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) in Inconel 718, which is a chromium-nickel alloy. Our first rocket engine, Tri-D, was printed in cobalt chromium.

These aren't senior projects. Our group was started in 2012 by a group of friends at UCSD who just really like aerospace and believed they could advance current liquid propulsion technology through 3D printing. Over the years, we've grown into a full-fledged student organization that takes in first through fourth-year undergrads; these members join in on our project teams and learn their skills from older students.

We have NASA support on the Colossus test stand, as well as the Vulcan-1 engine (which actually just returned from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center where NASA did some post-flight analysis).

We started in 2012 as a group of friends who wanted to tackle the challenge of using additive manufacturing to create a better liquid rocket engine. The last of that original group graduated just last year and are now working in the industry. We've continued researching and creating 3D printed engines, and as interest in our student org has grown, so have our projects – from the single Tri-D engine project to our multiple current projects and nearly 90 members.

We have a business team that takes care of finances, graphics, and marketing. Like the way we recruit engineering majors for real-world experience, we recruit economics and management science majors to manage our finances. We are mostly funded by sponsorships, so some of it is negotiating those then making sure our parts procurement is within the budget. Our business team has also been working on crowdfunding for our cube satellite project, Triteia, so we can purchase some of the crucial parts!