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Projeto Jupiter, an extension group from USP’s School of Engineering (Poli) focused on the development of experimental rockets and aerospace technology, carried out, on April 4, the first launch of the Elara II rocket, powered by a hybrid propulsion engine, Nemesis. “This milestone represents a significant advancement, since this technology is still little explored in the Brazilian university context”, said Samuel Santos, a mechanical engineering student at Poli.
The team explains that, from a technical standpoint, hybrid engines use solid fuel and liquid oxidizer, offering advantages over traditional solid engines, such as greater operational safety and greater thrust control during flight. “The development and flight of this system represent not only a milestone for the group, but also the consolidation of nearly ten years of research and an advanced engineering capability built by the students themselves”, said Santos.
The Elara II mission was conducted at the USP campus in Pirassununga, in coordination with the Air Force Academy for airspace clearance. The objective was to put into practice, in an integrated manner, several systems, including hybrid propulsion flight, validation of an aerodynamic braking system, verification of parachute deployment performance, evaluation of the structural integrity of the fuselage, and operational training of the team.
The initiative is part of an effort to develop an in-house launch capability, initiated after the group’s experience in 2017 at the Barreira do Inferno Launch Center of the Brazilian Air Force. On that occasion, the team launched the Imperius rocket in cooperation with Minerva Rockets, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
“Our case is challenging, because Poli does not have a specific aerospace engineering program nor laboratory infrastructure dedicated to hybrid propulsion. This means that all development was carried out largely by the students’ own initiative, who sought technical knowledge, designed the systems, and made their operation feasible practically from scratch”, the student said.
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Performance
The launch campaign began on Friday night (April 3) and was completed on Saturday night (April 4), totaling more than 12 hours of operation conducted by students during the Easter holiday. The vehicle was placed in flight configuration around noon. The most critical stages were concentrated in filling the oxidizer tank, which required several interventions and directly impacted the schedule.
“The development and operation of a hybrid engine such as Nemesis reinforce our commitment to innovation and technological advancement in the aerospace sector. Elara II also reflects the continuous pursuit of excellence in engineering, in line with the tradition of USP’s School of Engineering in training engineers and developing high-impact solutions”, the students explained.
The launch occurred at 6:06 p.m. (local time), but the flight was below expected performance, mainly due to the oxidizer level at liftoff being lower than planned. As a result, the rocket reached a lower altitude than expected. Even so, the recovery system was activated and allowed the vehicle to return to the ground with minimal damage.
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Experimental Rockets
Projeto Jupiter is a multidisciplinary aerospace project group from Poli at USP, composed mainly of students from the School of Engineering, but also including students from other units. Founded in 2015, it is dedicated to the development of experimental rockets for competitions in Brazil and abroad, with the objective of stimulating interest in the aerospace sector. With a series of awards, the team has placed USP in a prominent position in rocketry. Currently, it is preparing for the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), in Texas, in June, where it will once again represent Brazil at the “world championship of rocketry”.
The project is supported by Amigos da Poli, as well as technical support and supply of essential materials by the companies Air Liquide and Gás Norte.
Follow Projeto Jupiter on social media.
Written with information provided by the Press Office of USP’s School of Engineering (Poli) and Projeto Jupiter Communications.
English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco
