Two Stage Rocket Recovery System

The Columbia Rocketry Team (the largest project in the student club Columbia Space Initiative) is a student group that builds hybrid rockets to compete at Spaceport America Cup and reach 30,000 feet. I designed and constructed our 2022 and 2023 rocket's recovery system from a combination of student-designed and commerical parts. At the rocket's apogee, the rocket's nosecone is ejected by C02, releasing a drogue chute. The main chute is held inside the rocket by a tether until it is released at 1,500 feet. This recovery system uses minimal amounts of pyrotechnics, making it safer, easier to test, and less likely to fail during flight.