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news:
Partnership launches
rocket
By Maya Yamane
Summer Forty-Niner
The Cal State University
Long Beach aerospace engineering department, with cooperation
from the mechanical engineering department, successfully launched
a rocket for the first time in the Mojave Desert.
The event was part
of a partnership project between CSULB and the Garvey Spacecraft
Corporation, a local research and development aerospace company
specializing in low cost launch vehicle technology. The California
Launch Vehicle Initiative (CALVEIN) will focus on development
and implementation of an education program addressing the
design and manufacture of low cost reusable launch vehicles,
according to information provided by CSULB Media Relations
Director Rick Gloady.
CALVEIN has three
components: first, a Launch Vehicle Integration project; second,
an Aerospace System Design Curriculum centered on Reusable
Launch Vehicles (RLV); third, a workshop on low cost RLVs
scheduled for Spring 2002.
California's Competitive
Space Grant Program, which recently awarded a one-year, $110,645
grant to the CSULB aerospace engineering department funded
the project, Gloady said. The grant was not necessarily a
surprise.
"Garvey Spacecraft
Corporation was interested in developing ties with universities,
and being located right next to us [Huntington Beach] who
have an aerospace engineering department, the choice was natural,"
said aerospace engineering professor Eric Besnard. "GSC
is in contact with other universities as well for other projects,
but none of them are as involved as this one was."
The engine for
Prospector 1 was built by students from the mechanical engineering
department under the supervision of Professor Karl Grote.
"My students
in ME 472 (Design of mechanical engineering systems) came
to me after discussing [the project] with the aerospace engineering
department," Grote said. "I agreed to the
proposal of building the engine to the rocket."
"The engine
was used twice--first in the test phase, where it succeeded
very nicely and then in the actual start," Grote said.
"It could be used again--but design improvements are
always possible and the students think of staying on the project--even
though they have graduated or are in the process of graduating."
Grote advised on the design of the engine along with technicians
Mike Fritz and Paul Skaar.
"The engine
was completely manufactured and built and assembled in our
tech shop at CSULB--a very good job by the students,"
he said.
Chair of the aerospace
engineering department Dr.Hamid Hefazi said the development
of the rocket, Prospector 1, benefited the college in two
ways. First, the students were able to gain hands-on experience.
Second, the project realized that CSULB can draw upon the
resources of not only the aerospace engineering department,
but also the mechanical and electrical engineering departments
and their numerous corporate partners to provide students
a complete exposure to systems engineering.
"The department
benefits from all student projects--mainly those where industry
is involved," Grote said. "But this one got a lot
of attention. I anticipate that the relation between the now
merged mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering departments
is considerably better with that joint project and the…departments
will get more similar offers from industry."
There was some
likelihood that the launch could have failed, but everything
worked out.
"Sure, the
launch could fail--like in real life at NASA!" Grote
said. "We were kind of lucky, too. But the very good
students have the little luck they need always."
People involved
in the project include students Eduardo Torres, Juvenal Gordo,
Aole Espy, Katayoun Borojerdi, Seth Quitoriano, Tim Price,
Geoff Elson, Kevin Helms and Ishimine McCullom, and professors
Besnard, Hefazi and Grote, and John Garvey and his associates
from GSC, Besnard said. All interested students were invited
to participate.
The launch was
originally scheduled for June 2 but had to be postponed due
to high winds, according to Groady.
No final decision
has been made to launch Prospector 1 again, but there is interest
in flying the vehicle in September, Besnard said.
Other sponsors
of the project include Adaptive Designs of Costa Mesa, JPE
Astronautics, Advanced Composite Products & Technologies
and Flometrics.
See next week's
feature article on CSULB's unique contributions to the promising
new field of low cost reusable launch vehicle technology.
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