Cornell Rocketry Team's 2019 SA Cup Entry
Polaris was the Cornell Rocketry Team’s 2019 entry for the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) Spaceport America Cup competition. I served as co-team lead for the 2018-2019 competition season.
| Total Length | 147” |
| Diameter | 6.17” |
| Launch Mass | 73 lb |
| Motor | Cesaroni Pro98 N5600 |
| Airframe Material | Filament Wound G12 Fiberglass |
Designed for launches up to 10,000 ft, Polaris can sustain loads in excess of 10 g’s of force.
Polaris was first launched in early May 2019, to an altitude of 11,254 ft.
Polaris was subsequently lost in a motor catastrophe at take-off during its competition launch. Thermal expansion sustained from higher-than-expected on pad temperatures and longer on-pad wait times resulted in an over-constrained mount, leading to over pressurization and subsequent disaster.
For more on Polaris and the Cornell Rocketry Team, visit the team’s website here.