Shepard Test Stand Wiki v1.1¶

Welcome to the Shepard Test Stand project Wiki. This wiki contains documentation covering the design, development, fabrication, and use of the test stand. Much of the information here started life over in the forums, where we held discussions and worked to achieve a consensus on all items. Due to this, the forums would be a good place to start if you have questions about the thought process behind an item. In most cases, links to the appropriate forum discussions will be included in the wiki pages.

The Shepard Test Stand is named after Alan Shepard, America's first astronaut, as it is our first test stand. We are using an Arduino board to provide the physical interface between the data collecting computer and the required sensors. This project is the first in a series of projects to develop the required skills for the practice of safe rocket engine operation, and to develop the capability to measure and record data about a rocket engine's performance. The idea behind the Shepard Test Stand project is to start small and simple, and then build on what is learned when moving to larger and more complex stands later on. This is very much in keeping with Mach 30's philosophy of starting (literally) from the ground up to build the infrastructure required to facilitate safe, routine, reliable, and sustained access to space. This second iteration of Shepard will only measure the thrust and motor casing temperature of Estes model rocket motors sized A through E. The second iteration will step beyond that to offer higher resolution measurements and an easier to assemble structure, among other things. The Shepard project is structured in a way that should allow anyone to build and improve upon the designs. Everyone from experienced space flight hardware designers to educators and students are encouraged to get involved with the project and share their knowledge and enthusiasm.

If you're interested in getting involved, please introduce yourself in the forums and let us know what your interests and specialties are. There is also the navigation bar at the right to help you browse the documentation to get up-to-speed.