US students to push hypersonic boundaries with new spacecraft on NASA rocket mission

“The cost savings, if the students prove their concept, could be in the multiple millions of dollars per test flight,” said Christopher Goyne, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering professor. 

“Currently, hypersonic researchers are limited to either complex computer simulations or expensive flight and wind tunnel testing,” he added. 

It will reach 100 miles above Earth

The opportunity for this unique experiment is offered by NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility through their RockSat-X program. However, before the ride, HEDGE needs to pass all the preflight checks. 

RockSat-X is a small rocket where each section can hold experiments up to 30 pounds.  

This rocket would carry HEDGE roughly 100 miles above Earth for a short time, before falling back towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it will be retrieved. 

For HEDGE to succeed, it needs to eject from the rocket quickly (within a second). Soon after, its stabilizing fins must deploy, allowing it to achieve aerodynamic stability and harness the power of gravity to reach hypersonic speeds.

“We sometimes think of gliders as slow, but in this case, it will be anything but,” said Luke Dropulic, one of the 13 students on the capstone project and a previous NASA intern. 

CubeSat to gain vital data

At the heart of HEDGE lies a CubeSat, a miniature research satellite. 

This CubeSat won’t deploy into orbit and will stay within the glider, acting as the data collection and transmission hub. The onboard satellite is designed to establish a radio communication link with a satellite already orbiting in low Earth orbit. 

It is expected to establish the connection as soon as the glider detaches from the rocket. 

This connection is important for the mission’s success, as the CubeSat would transmit key environmental data – specifically temperature and pressure readings – along with its precise location coordinates. 

These data transmissions are programmed to occur at a rapid rate of twice per second (every half second) and will continue until the glider and its internal CubeSat experience their separate splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, an event expected to occur just five and a half minutes after separation from the rocket. 

Just like in the professional world, the students have divided into specialized teams, each contributing their unique expertise.

“HEDGE has many complex parts that make it possible, and all of those parts are represented by students exhibiting their subject matter expertise,” stated student Sydney Bakir, the program manager and a current Department of Defense Naval Surface Warfare Center intern. 

Before their August launch, the team faces a key hurdle: demonstrating the “precision and durability of their hardware and software” to NASA. 

Only by proving their systems can reliably collect reentry data will they receive the final green light.

The students’ HEDGE experiment has the potential to make the development of future high-speed aircraft more efficient and affordable, demonstrating that the biggest advancements can arise from small-scale projects.