Design Notes
The Ambition-III is a spaceshot rocket designed for maximum efficiency. As a "sub-minimum diameter" rocket, its body and motor are one and the same, leaving no room for unnecessary weight.
Technical Specifications
Propellant
Type: Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant
Mass: 76.0 kg (167.5 lbs)
Materials
Nozzle: Graphite potted in MSC
Thrust Chamber: S-2 Fiberglass
Insulative Liners and Bulkhead: MSC
Nose Cone: Fiberglass reinforced MSC
Nose Cone Tip: 3D-Printed Inconel Alloy
Masses
Gross Lift-Off Mass (GLOM): 184.00 kg (405.65 lbs)
Burnout Mass: 88.50 kg (195.11 lbs)
*Note: MSC refers to our insulative material, our experimental "Microsphere Composite," comprised of either Epoxy or Polyurethane and glass microspheres.
Nose Cone
Fast Facts:​
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Nose Cone Profile: Von Karman Ogive
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Material: Fiberglass reinforced polymer
The nose cone has been optimized to minimize both mass and drag. The nose cone body is made of radio-transparent fiberglass for our avionics systems and tipped with a "bluffed" Inconel tip to survive aerodynamic heating.
Propellant
Fast Facts:​
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Propellant Type: Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP)
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The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) used a type of APCP
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The propellant has Ammonium perchlorate as an oxygen source, aluminum powder as fuel, and HTPB (polymer resin) as fuel and binding material. The "grain" has a hollow core to burn from the inside out.
Thrust Chamber
Fast Facts:​​
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Material: S-2 Fiberglass
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The thrust chamber provides the primary structure of the rocket. It must be strong and rigid to contain the heat and pressure of the motor burn.
Nozzle
Fast Facts:​​
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De Laval Convergent-Divergent nozzle
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Material: Medium and Fine grain graphite
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The nozzle facilitates a thermodynamic trade off, accelerating the hot and high temperature gasses to an ambient pressure high velocity stream. The two grades of graphite provide a balance of cost effectiveness and high stress performance.
Composite Fins
Fast Facts:​​
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Material: Fiberglass and MSC
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Number of Fins: 4
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Fin Shape: Trapezoidal
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The fins keep the rocket flying straight. They are placed in the rear of the rocket, moving the center of pressure well behind the center of gravity, ensuring flight stability.