Fleet
STAR's entire fleet of rockets with a description, notable facts, and current status
Disclaimer: These notes should be verified and compiled into a more permanent document, maybe a spreadsheet. This information is routinely lost to the sands of time each time we compile it..
Ursa Minor
4” diameter
Some reference dimensions exist on GitBook
NASA Student Launch 2016-2017 Sub-Scale
Blue Tube airframe material
Ursa Major
6” diameter
75mm motor mount
Single-side dual deploy with independently recovered payload section
ORK exists, reference dimensions appear to match manual measurements.
NASA Student Launch 2016-2017 Full-Scale (competition vehicle)
Blue Tube airframe material
Sub-Arktos
Single-side dual deploy
Blue Tube airframe material
2.6” booster, 4” upper section
Fiberglassed printed 2.6” -> 4” transition
Flown 2019-04-20 successfully
ORK exists and is generally known to be correct.
NASA SL 2017-2018 Sub-Scale
Arktos
54mm motor mount, functional 4” booster
Blue Tube airframe material
4” booster, 6” upper section
No undamaged 4” -> 6” printed transition parts in stock
ORK exists and is generally known to be correct.
Have had several anomalies with this design and no successful launches with recovery
NASA SL 2017-2018 Full-Scale
Spectre
Design only, never made it to build phase
Overly ambitious two-stage COTS solid + SRAD liquid engine with complex stage separation mechanism
Started design for IREC 2017-2018, entered in IREC 2018-2019, did not participate (instead launched Sub-Arktos again that year). Project permanently canceled while liquid engine tech is matured.
AirBears
4” diameter
75mm motor mount
Damage to booster tube: 6” long tear from shear pin, probably
Functional upper section
ORK exists and is definitely correct
Flown twice
Test vehicle; flown with payloads and intended to fly with CAS, rip CAS
Less documentation than competition vehicles as focus was on rapid development
Bear Force One
6” diameter
98mm motor mount
Fiberglass airframe material
Completely undamaged except its nose cone tip needs epoxy
The payload tube has DAVE ejection hardware epoxied in it
ORK exists and is definitely correct
IREC 2019-2020 entry, postponed to 2020-2021
Flew completely successfully (except for the IRIS/Muons payload and the MFC payload)
Only rocket to have onboard cameras
Reached 10,128ft flying on an Aerotech M2500 motor
Intended to refly as the test vehicle for DAVE, rip DAVE
Pinkbeary
5.5” diameter
The club’s first two stage rocket, intended as test vehicle for staging
75mm motor mount with K1000 staging to 54mm motor mount with J800
Bluetube airframe material
ORK exists and is definitely correct
Flown twice, exactly one year apart
Successfully staged both flights
RUD of 2nd stage on first flight ~1s after secondary ignition, interstage not recovered
Second flight testing improved staging mechanism, SS-DD recovery on the first stage, and custom avionics, no motor in second stage to save money
Multiple recovery failures due to human error on second flight leading to critical damage to the adjustable ballast section at bulkhead, multiple zippering areas due to both sock cord and shear pins, not flyable
Reached ~2200-2300ft both times
MINDI
2” diameter (yes, really)
The club’s first minimum diameter rocket
54mm “motor mount” since minimum diameter, flying an Aerotech K1103 motor
Fiberglass airframe material
ORK exists and is definitely correct
Flown once to 14.3kft, current Berkeley altitude record-holder
Mysterious recovery failure(?) with drogue-less descent followed by main deployed with Jolly Logic Chute Release. Eye of parachute ripped by parachute but still landed 2ft from rocket. Body undamaged, nose cone “intact” but sheared, not flyable
CalVisitor
6” diameter
98mm motor mount flying Aerotech M1939 motor
Fiberglass airframe material
ORK exists and is definitely correct
Entry for IREC 2022-2023, originally planned for IREC 2021-2022 under the name “HighBearNation”
4th place in the apogee competition, reached 10023ft, 23ft off of perfect
Recovery deployed successfully but the booster section completely sheared off the rocket upon main deployment at the airbrakes fin holes. Then dragged ~5 miles across the desert in the wind before finally being recovered 22hrs after landing. No section survived this event in a flyable condition
Probably the closest the club will ever get to the target apogee in IREC
Alula
In development, scheduled to fly January 21st, 2024
6” diameter
Ethanol + LOx biprop blowdown liquid engine
Test vehicle, the club’s first liquid engine-powered vehicle
ORK exists (mostly) and will definitely be correct
Entry for FAR’s Dollar-Per-Foot competition
Last updated