Icelandic rocket launched

20.5.2014

On Thursday the 15th of May a group students from Reykjavik University successfully launched a rocket they had developed from Mýrdalssandur.  According to the group the launch was a success. As  planned the rocket managed to take pictures, but as walsys with project of this kind, there were some issues and the rocket did not follwo the GPS coordinates^, which meant the recovery was more complitcated than expected.

"Mjölnir" High Power Rocket Recovery Project

The Mjölnir project was created as part of the course T-870-INTE Integrated Project at Reykjavík University on the string semester of 2014. The class is presented as a Master's level course where students with varying backgrounds unite their forces and use the collective experience and knowledge in the team to solve a complex problem.

^{Launching the rocket outside Vik Myrdal. Photo: mbl.is}

Few projects contain more complex and codependent problems than high power rocketry. Additionally, this project focusses heavily on the recovery part of the rocket launch. This involves some advanced concept design around the parachute deployment, essentially the idea is to guide the rocket towards a specific landing site in it's descent after the parachute is deployed. This will be done by using concepts similar to how a para glider is operated

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The project is the first step in a long term plan to carry high definition cameras to an altitude high enough to capture images of the Aurora Borealis, which is commonly referred to as the northern lights, in collaboration with New York and Puerto Rico based artists and film-makers. This project is intended as a stepping stone towards further rocketry research at Reykjavik University and towards the goal of filming the northern lights from above. Videos and streams are available here