BPS.space

Scout F Flight 1 Footage and Data Review

Added 2022-05-17 22:02:50 +0000 UTC

Howdy Patrons, I've got LOTS of footage and data for ya!

Video Link: https://youtu.be/9KReMmgEgus (the 4K version is still processing and should be done in a few hours max)

Scout F finally lifted off, and things didn't go amazing, but they didn't go terribly! The rocket is in great shape, and I think we can probably try flying again late May or early June if we push hard. The goal of Scout F is to test A LOT - one of the great parts about Echo is that it was built like a tank so we could do that - same thing here. No delicate airframe or anything, so with some code fixes we should be able to fly again soon.

I talk about some of these issues in the video, but most of the problems seen here can be fixed in software. The wiggle on the way up is a tuning issue with GNC that comes down to me modeling the vehicle incorrectly, the low apogee is partially from a sliiiight underperformance of the motor coupled with higher vehicle drag than expected, and a lot of TVC wiggle. The failed landing is mostly a function of the low apogee being outside the expected range we simulated with.

The good news is that the kalman filter is working great, the software didn't have any major bugs, so we'll mostly be updating parameters instead of writing new code for the next flight.

I'll keep you posted as we get ready for that to happen! Thanks as always for your support <3

Joe