2011 High Powered Rocketry Competition

SEDS-USA is happy to announce the SEDS 2011 High-Powered Rocketry Competition, a new inter-chapter challenge. The goal of this competition is to design, construct, and launch a high-powered rocket carrying a 4 kilogram payload to a height of 3050 meters (10,000 feet) above ground level, as measured by a standard altimeter. The primary competition end date is October 24th, 2011. An extended end date of November 28th has been added by request of participating chapters, though launching after the October 24th date will result in a point deduction. The winning chapter will be announced at SpaceVision 2011.

Competing Chapters (Last Updated: 8/02/2011)

Rules

This competition is open to participation at no cost to Students for the Exploration and Development of Space USA chapters. If non-SEDS USA chapter student groups or organizations wish to participate in the competition, a $20 entry fee is required. Contact projects@seds.org for details.
All designs must use our standard altimeter, the PerfectFlite MAWD. The altimeter needs to be tested prior to installation to ensure it is working condition, with documentation submitted to the Competition Coordinator for confirmation. NOTE: The PerfectFlite MAWD is no longer in production. You may use its successor, the PerfectFlite Stratologger.
All rockets must not exceed a maximum total impulse of 5,120 Newton-seconds (maximum motor size of Class L). All rockets must carry a payload of at least 4 kilograms in order to be judged.
Scoring:
1. Launches at or above the 3050 meter goal
  1. All teams achieving the set goal of 3050 meters will receive 10 points.
  2. At completion of the active portion of the competition, total rocket masses will be compiled into a descending list by mass. Starting with the heaviest qualifying rocket (receiving 0 points for weight), each successively lighter rocket down the list will receive an additional point (ie, the 6th heaviest rocket will receive an additional five points added its score)
  3. 2 additional points will be granted for any team that includes a launch camera as part of their payload. This camera must successfully record footage for the majority of the flight.
2. Launches below the 3050 meter goal
  1. For launches failing to make the 3050 meter goal, a score out of 10 points will be granted based on the ratio of the altitude achieved to the maximum altitude, rounded to the nearest second decimal (ie, a 2000 meter launch will result in a score of 6.56 points).
3. Final scores from the two categories will be collated and used to determine the final standings and winner of the competition.
4. In order to compensate for the effects of launches at high-altitude launch sites, .0002 times your launch altitude in feet will be subtracted from your score. This offsets the much reduced engine/ vehicle mass necessary to achieve the 10,000-feet above ground level target height at these higher altitudes.
5. In order to allow for more chapters to participate, participating teams are allowed to compete after the original October 24th completion date. However, all competing chapters who wish to launch after this day and before the final November 28th cutoff must submit photographic evidence of their rocket’s completion/ near completion by October 24th. All chapters launching after October 24th will however receive a 1 point penalty to their final score.
All “competition” launches will be conducted locally by the build team. However, a representative from a competing team must be present at the launch to confirm fair practice.
1. If no competing team members are capable of attending the launch, stand-in representatives from other nearby SEDS chapters, SEDS affiliates, or industry members can be discussed with the Competition Coordinator if notified at least a month prior to launch.
2. In the case of a previously indicated representative not attending the arranged launch day, the Competition Coordinator must be contacted immediately in order to discuss emergency representative selection.
3. Note: An acceptable alternative to having another team representative visit, as well as an acceptable alternative to having to go through much of the necessary launch paperwork, is to coordinate with a local Tripoli/ NAR chapter and launch on one of their launch days. A member of these organizations can act as an independent judicator on your launch if the Competition Coordinator is contacted a month prior.
4. Note: SEDS-USA highly encourages chapters to perform regional launches together. This reduces the amount of paper work and traveling for everyone involved, and is a lot more fun as well!
All launches must be performed entirely through rocketry; no specialty launch systems (ie, Rockoon, projectile launching) are permitted.
All rockets must be successfully recovered with minimal damage. Successful recovery much be documented by the team and the
competing team representative.
All teams seeking to participate must contact the Competition Coordinator to indicate their interest at least a month prior to launch.
1. All teams must record (via digital video camera) and/or photograph the design and construction of their vehicle, as well as its launch.
2. Launch dates, representative identities, as well as launch results / finalized altimeter and weight information must be submitted to the Competition Coordinator as soon as possible after they have been acquired.
All teams and launches must abide by local laws and FAA regulations for unmanned rocket launches. Safety must take the highest priority in launch preparations. Local laws must be researched by participating groups. The National Association of Rocketry has a list of FAA regulations that you may wish to read thoroughly.
1. Notable FAA Regulations
  1. Proper notification to the nearest FAA ATC facility must be performed no less than 24 hours prior to launch.
  2. For all Class-2 Launches, authorization for launch must be applied for at least 45 days prior to launch. See link above for details.
  3. No launches when clouds or other obscuring phenomena of more than five tenths coverage prevails, where horizontal visibility would be less than five miles during launch
  4. No operation of rockets in clouds, or between sunset and sunrise
  5. No operations within 8 miles of any airport boundary without prior FAA authorization
  6. Reasonable fire-prevention / control precautions must be taken
2. Notable BATFE Regulations
  1. You can purchase any APCP motor or reload kit without a BATFE permit.
  2. Though nearly all ammonium perchlorate composite rocket motors are unregulated, some items commonly used in high powered rocketry are regulated by the BATFE. These include igniters (this includes electric matches), igniter cord (the now very hard to find thermalite), and black powder (for separation charges).
  3. Black powder is generally easy to buy, BUT if you run afoul of the law with a can of BP in your car you could be charged with illegal transport of explosives. An alternative to Black Pyrodex and other Black Powder Substitutes are often used in rockets, as they are classified under smokeless powder regulations as opposed to Black powder regulations.
  4. Federal law prohibits transportation of explosives by anyone other than an BATFE permittee/licensee. (With an exception for commercial transport via common carriers like FedEx)
  5. You can apply for an BATFE permit to store regulated explosives in a magazine locally. This process and instructions are available at http://www.atf.gov/
  6. An easy way to avoid BATFE issues is to participate in a rocket launch supported by an BATFE-regulated rocket motor vendor. The vendor is normally able to drive motors and igniters to the launch for you to buy on site and use on site at the launch in your rocket.
All launch details, rocket weight readings, altimeter heights, and documentation must be submitted to the Competition Coordinator by 11/28/2011 in order to be judged. Winners will be announced November 30th, 2011.
1. Information on prizes will be made available ASAP.