Data Acquisition System, Launch Control and Recovery Avionics For Sounding Rockets

Sounding rockets have various applications in scientific research, including studying the upper atmosphere, auroras, microgravity, radiation, and testing new technologies for space missions. Avionics are crucial in a sounding rocket as they provide real-time data acquisition and telemetry, ensuring safe and successful mission operations. This project presents the design and development of a comprehensive data acquisition and recovery system for sounding rockets using the STM32 ARM Cortex M4 microcontroller. The system includes various sensors such as pressure, humidity, atmospheric temperature, motor temperature, gyro, attitude, altitude, vibration, voltage, and current sensors to collect flight data. The collected data is stored on an SD card module and transmitted to the ground station using an RF link. Additionally, a GPS module is integrated into the system to track the rocket's position and altitude during flight. The system also includes an onboard ignition system and wireless launch sequence. The ground control system (GCS) enables users to remotely control the launch sequence and displays the motor firing system status. The GCS also provides a wireless interface for transmitting the launch sequence to the onboard ignition system. The user interface enhances the flight status and improves the security using AES encryption mechanism. The parachute deployment system is activated based on the altitude sensor data to recover the rocket after landing. The system has been tested with multiple conditions, demonstrating accurate data collection and recovery capabilities. The presented system proposes a reliable and efficient solution for model-sounding rocket data acquisition, recovery, and launch control. Keywords: Avionics, Sounding Rockets, Recovery, Ground Control System, Parachute Deployment