An interdisciplinary team of 10 UAF students was selected to design the first Student Rocket Payload (SRP1) during the summer of 1991. More than 20 students have worked on the design, construction, and testing of the SRP1 payload, which was launched on July 17, 1992.

     The SRP1 payload is contained in the nosecone assembly. It weighed 5 lbs and included 4 instruments. An accelerometer was used to measure the acceleration of the rocket motor during launch and deceleration of the payload when the recovery system was deployed. A magnetometer was used to determine the attitude of the payload with respect to the geomagnetic field. The remaining 2 instruments measured the atmospheric temperature and pressure. An on-board computer was used to format the measurements into a data stream, which was sent to the ground by a small transmitter. The students received the signal on the ground and stored the data in a portable computer for later analysis.

     The students designed a rigorous series of tests to insure that the payload would survive the conditions expected during launch. A centrifuge was built to test the payload under the forces of launch, and a vacuum chamber was built to test the operation of the payload electronics at the reduced pressures in the upper atmosphere. The payload was also tested for proper operation over wide ranges of temperature and vibration. A computer model was developed to simulate the rocket flight and predict rocket performance.

     The rocket used to launch the SRP1 payload was 4 inches in diameter, 6 feet long, and weighed 50 lbs. It was launched from a 16 foot launch tube built by the students to provide the initial guidance. The rocket motor burned for 6 seconds and accelerated the payload to nearly 4 times the speed of sound (Mach 3.8). During this time, the payload experienced forces that were 25 times the force of gravity (25 g's of acceleration). The rocket was expected to reach a peak altitude of 35,000 feet, but, a premature separation of the payload from the rocket motor, and an early deployment of the recovery parachute resulted in a much lower trajectory. However, the student-designed payload performed well throughout the flight and provided the data needed to analyze the unexpected behavior of the rocket. The SRP1 payload was primarily intended as an engineering development test which will lay the foundation for more sophisticated projects in the future. The SRP2 payload is currently being designed to include a nose-tip electron density probe, improved internal diagnostics, and a telemetry system with a data rate of 50,000 bps. Other student rocket payloads planned for the future will measure X-ray emissions from the aurora and ozone concentrations.

     The Alaska Student Rocket Program has been very successful in providing students with the opportunity for hands-on experience in building flight hardware. Several new courses have been developed at UAF to support this effort. Perhaps the most important benefit has been the opportunity for students with diverse backgrounds in science and engineering to learn to work together towards a common goal.