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NYU's Rocketry Team
Payload Engineer
January 2024 - Present
Rogue Aerospace is the rocketry team at NYU that builds, tests, and launches a rocket to compete in the NASA USLI Student Launch competition. We are currently participating in the 2026 FAR Competition. In the competition, student teams from all over the country compete based on criteria that change every year. As a payload engineer, I'm responsible for designing the rocket's payload section, which contains the rocket's deliverables, whether satellites, astronauts, or cargo. Over the past year, I designed the payload's electronics bay, as well as 3D printed and post-processed parts for the 2024 competition season.
2025-2026
2025-2026
Nose-cone Analysis
Nose-cone Analysis
Volume analysis
For the nose cone design for the 2025-2026 seasons, I was responsible for designing the nose cone and analyzing it to determine the optimal shape and fineness ratio. The shape of the nose cone provides different drag and performance at different speeds. The rocket was supposed to travel at a transonic speed, meaning it would travel at greater than Mach 1 but would not exceed Mach 1.2. There were many shapes and contenders. The shapes were considered based on the parameters of speed (therefore, drag) and volume. Rounder nose cones lower drag and allow for lower drag at subsonic speeds (below Mach 1), but significantly increase drag at fast speeds. As the rocket travels at transonic speed, a mix between a sharp and round nose cone tip should be used. This ruled out shapes such as the tangent ogive and cone shapes, which had sharp tips that had too high a drag at subsonic speeds. Next, I constructed each remaining nose cone according to a formula sheet to calculate the internal volume within the nose cone. 1/2 power nose cones and Von Karman nose cones maximized the internal volume at around 100 in^3. Further research found the 1/2 power nose cone to have stronger rigidity than the Von Karman profile, which was an additional crucial factor to be considered since the test launch of the rocket was to be conducted out of 3D printed ABS.
Determining the fineness ratio of the nose cone involved the same two factors that were used to determine the nose cone shape: drag and internal volume. Fineness ratio refers to the ratio between the radius of the rocket and the length of the nose cone. Increasing the ratio would make the nose cone longer. This results in a decrease in drag, especially at higher speeds. However, any fineness ratio greater than 5:1 appeared to have little to no effect on reducing drag (as shown in the chart on the left). The fineness ratio below 3:1 was also too low in volume to contain the payload. Thus, we determine the ideal fineness ratio to be between 3 and 5. The payload mission for 2025-2026 included having a water ballast placed inside the payload. For the subscale test launch, the water ballast took the form of a Smart Waterbottle. To have more shoulder space, the water bottle needed to have been placed further inside the nose cone. When seeing that the water bottle placement did not change >0.5 in into the nose cone when the fineness ratio was ~4.1, the fineness ratio was decided at 4.1.
2024-2025
2024-2025
Electronics Bay
Electronics Bay
The payload for the 2024-2025 season included successfully landing the payload on the rocket, taking appropriate sensor data such as temperature, maximum apogee, etc., and transmitting the gathered data via radio. I was responsible for designing the electronics bay for the payload in which these vital sensors would sit. I designed the electronics bay using SolidWorks and prototyped the design using a laser cutter and 3D printers. I continuously optimized the electronics bay in order for it to be easily accessible, easily assembled, and structurally sound.
Electronics bay with the rest of payload assembly
Electronics bay
For the 2025 USLI season, I was responsible for designing and manufacturing the electronics bay of the rocket's payload. The electronics bay is the platform that would house all of the electronics components, sensors, and batteries associated with the rocket's payload. I designed the electronics pay with several factors in mind including weight distribution, space efficiency, and durability.
Other electronics bay designs were considered. First, I considered having the plates horizontally layered rather than vertically layered plates. This would allow for the landing legs to be extended near the nose cone section, as there would be open space near the center of the electronics bay. However, this could lead to an unbalanced weight distribution of the payload as certain electronic component weigh more than others. Thus, heavy components such as the battery might cause the rocket to sway to one side during launch when it is placed closer to one side than the other.
Electronics bay for subscale launch
The initial version of the electronics bay was manufactured for the subscale launch in 2/3 of the intended size. As I manufactured and assembled the electronics bay, I faced several issues. Firstly, the use of threaded rod level the electronics bay shelves made it timely and complicated to assemble. 6 nuts and washers needed to be screwed into the threaded rod for each shelf. This is also difficult to disassemble in case electronics need to be taken out of the electronics bay or other parts need to be added. Secondly, it made it difficult to tell the height at which the shelf must be placed. Nuts would sometimes loosen, and the shelves would no longer be at the intended height of 2.4 inches from one another.
I designed a new electronics bay design that would overcome this issue. It would have vertical wooden shelf holders that would have slits. I also made slits on the shelves so that they would fit with the shelf holders. This makes it so that nuts and washers need to be used to keep the shelves stable. It also enables easy assembly and disassembly of the electronics bay without sacrificing the structural integrity of the electronics bay. The shelves simply need to be slotted into the shelf holders in order for them to be completely assembled. This also resolves the second issue of shelf heights. Because shelves are maintained at the height at which the slit is cut out from the shelf holders, the height of each shelf can be easily determined. As a result of this change, the team was able to successfully manufacture and assemble the electronics bay before the demonstration flight deadline. The electronics bay also remained structurally intact throughout the demonstration flight.
New electronics bay design without threaded rods
Payload Assembly
Payload Assembly
Payload Assembly
I worked closely with other members of the payload team to complete the full CAD design of the payload. Assembling components various members on the team had worked on, it was crucial for me to properly manage the space within the payload and ensure all components are located where they are supposed to.
Manufacturing and Testing
Manufacturing and Testing
For the 2024 USLI season, I gained hands-on experience with building a rocket. I used tools such as the drill press and cordless drill, as well as handheld shop tools to assemble parts of the payload as well as the frame of the rocket. I also utilize the UltiMaker Cura 3D printer, the Fortus 3D printer, and the Tormach CNC machine to manufacture crucial parts of the rocket, including the nosecone, bulkhead, and STEMnaut plates. A test that we conducted on the rocket's payload was the vibrations test. The payload was attached to an electrodynamic shaker which vibrated the payload structures at varying frequencies. Afterward, the payload was inspected for damages, deformations, or detachments. I was responsible for observing the test and writing detailed documentations on the results of the test.
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