PUSH THE LIMITS
OF ROCKET SCIENCE THROUGH EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT
ABOUT US
Founded by Marco Nanni, Lorenzo Milli, and Tommaso Delogu in 2022, this experimental rocketry team of the University of Florence (IT) is a group of passionate individuals who share an interest in space technology and exploration. The team is focused on designing and building advanced rockets with cutting-edge technology to achieve higher altitudes and speeds. They have a strong emphasis on safety, following strict protocols and guidelines to ensure the well-being of all team members and the surrounding environment. Through collaboration and dedication, the team strives to push the boundaries of rocketry and inspire the next generation of space enthusiasts.
RED aster
Red Aster is the rocket that we will bring to EUROC, the European rocketry challenge in Portugal next October. It is an improvement of the Red One Beta, with a dual deployment system based on CO2 cartridges, a personalized flight computer, and complex informatics. The main feature that makes this vector unique is the air brakes system, which is governed by the flight computer with the purpose to reach an altitude of 3000m with maximum precision, in order to get the EUROC ‘s “Fligh Award”.
Characteristics
1395
Ns
Total Impulse
3000
m
Apogee
2000
mm
Height
100
mm
Diameter
Red One beta
Red One Beta is the second version of Red One rocket. With this rocket, we tried to put together all our previous knowledge and electronics and informatics. We developed a personalized flight computer first-of-its-kind which controls parameters such as velocity, pressure, and altitude and govern parachute deployment. In addition, this rocket comes with a hybrid parachute deployment system, where an innovative CO2 system deploys the main chute, while the drogue chute is expelled by the explosive charges of the motor, like the previous rockets. This integrated dual-deployment system makes this rocket a complex but effective solution.
Characteristics
1395
Ns
Total Impulse
3000
m
Apogee
2000
mm
Height
100
mm
Diameter
Mach 0.4
Maximum Velocity
RED ONE ALPHA
Red One Alpha is an improvement of the Red Goblin. The purpose was to build a version of the Red Goblin with enhanced performances to get the Tripoli level 2 certification for High Power Rockets. Its solid structure is made of Blue Tube, while the wings are made of plywood properly shaped like the NACA 16-006 airfoil. The motor used is the L1395 which has the optimal Thrust curve while minimizing weight and costs.
Characteristics
1395
Ns
Total Impulse
3000
m
Apogee
2000
mm
Height
80
mm
Diameter
Mach 0.4
Maximum Velocity
Red Goblin
This was our first attempt to build a rocket. It is designed to be very simple to manufacture, and our purpose was to use it to get the Tripoli level 1 certification of High Power Rockets (HPR).
The structure consists of a solid kit, made of cardboard with wooden wings which were properly shaped to be more aerodynamic. We did a lot of flight simulations using MATLAB, ANSYS, and Openrocket, to study its behavior in different conditions of velocity, pressure and temperature. The motor used was the Cesaroni I100, a 54mm diameter 2-grain motor which guarantees the great Total Impulse of 613 Ns.
Characteristics
613
Ns
Total Impulse
750
m
Apogee
1500
mm
Height
100
mm
Diameter
Mach 0.34
Maximum Velocity
Work in progress
Unicorn
Unicorn is our long-term project which consists of a rocket with a propulsion system that allows the rocket to land with a precision of 1m. The main challenge is to design a throttleable solid motor system, which will be one of our greatest achievements. Stay tuned for updates!
Board of Directors
Every member of our board of directors is a thought leader who has made significant contributions to the team. Each one brings a unique set of skills and expertise to our organization.
Former Members
The Idea:
our passion and inspiration derive from the desire for space
Space exploration has always been a great challenge for man, and above all for engineers.
In this field man is forced to challenge his limits, as to build a vehicle capable of leaving the planet, overcoming the force of gravity that keeps everything attached to it, is one of the most complex missions in the world. For this reason, it turns out to be immeasurably fascinating, e it allows man to realize his deepest desire, that is to reach the stars.
Florence is the epicenter of the manifestation of this spirit of spatial exploration, triggered
among the students of the Florentine pole for the first time by a former student of the Polytechnic of Milan, Marco Nanni, B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. The latter arrives at the Florentine university with a great
enterprising spirit and willingness to get involved
His willpower lies in taking seriously this exploratory spirit, this attraction to challenge the limits of the aerospace field, which he had only dealt with in books.
He then begins his final chapter of studies at Unifi with a project that embodied these ambitions: building a team that designs, builds, and launches experimental rockets. Problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity make this project an incredible source of wealth.
His enthusiasm attracted the attention of the first two students, Lorenzo Milli and Tommaso Delogu, and so
the three engineers decide to start laying the foundations for the project. The team gradually gathers the attention of other students, and after a month the team ends up being made up of 50 people. All moved by a single spirit of discovery and a will to go beyond what is currently realistic.
Present
Today the team has more than 50 members divided into 12 departments, and thanks to excellent leadership
which aligned the work of all the teams, as well as the competence that each one has demonstrated in these recent months, the team has successfully designed its first two rockets (“Red Goblin” and “Red One”) to obtain the HPR (High Power Rocket) level 1 and 2 certifications issued by Tripoli Rocketry Association, which will allow us to be able to purchase engines of a certain power. The launch of both rockets will take place at the beginning of April 2023, in the airfield of Molinella (BO), during the event MARS 2023 organized by ACME.
Following these launches, the design of a third model, ours, will be completed
flagship launcher to participate in the international competition "European Rocketry Challenge" (EUROC)
in the year 2023.
Culture
Our purpose is to explore those which are considered to be the limits of knowledge and push them for continuous improvement. To achieve this, we must develop relationships with the outside world, exchange our views with both the University and companies, and develop an increasingly wide picture from which to start our new projects. Our goal is to experiment and to try without the fear of failure, which we consider a fundamental part of the process.
Excellence
we deal with one of the most complex and challenging sectors: the space industry. Only the most brilliant minds are part of our team
Self-improvement
The challenges that we face every day drive us to continuous improvement and take us beyond our current limits
Innovation
Exchanging ideas is the key to success, as allows us to come up with overwhelming innovations that make possible what is currently unrealistic