5 reasons to put electronics into your rocket

I’m just beginning to learn about the different kinds of electronics that can go into a rocket. It seems like there are virtually limitless possibilities, but I’ll give a quick overview below.

A high power rocket often has an electronics bay (“e-bay”) or some payload area where you can put various types of payloads, generally electronics.

The options are really endless, but just to help provide some overall context, here are a couple of the major types or categories of electronics that can go into a rocket.

1. Altimeter. This is a simple device that measures altitude, or height. It uses changes in barometric pressure to determine height (starting by setting it to zero at the launch site, so that it has a starting point). It’s fun to launch a rocket, but it’s nice to know exactly how high it goes. I’ve heard great things about the RRC3 from MissileWorks, for example, as well as the StratoLoggerCF altimeter.
2. Parachute release. If you wrap the parachute with a rubber band so that it’s closed tightly, it won’t automatically open when it’s released at peak height. By using a very small chip, such as the Chute Release from Jolly Logic, you can control when that parachute actually opens up and deploys.
3. GPS/ radio beacon. It’s helpful to know exactly where your rocket goes, using something to record position data. It’s also helpful for finding your rocket after it inevitably disappears from sight and you have no idea where it landed. I’ve heard several people recommend the BeeLine GPS, for example, from Big Red Bee.
4. Flight computer. This is a small chip (e.g. the one pictured at the top of this page) that integrates several useful functions into a single device. A flight computer generally contains an altimeter and GPS/ radio beacon, but also contains “pyro channels” which can control parachute deployment. A flight computer allows a rocket to “dual deploy,” meaning you can deploy two separate parachutes, and you have a greater degree of control over when the rocket parts separate and the parachutes actually deploy. The flight computer pictured above is the TeleMetrum, from Altus Metrum.
5. Camera. Is there any limit to how creative you can get with putting electronics into a rocket? Not really! I’ve just begun to scratch the surface, but I know people put a GoPro or other camera on the outside of the rocket and record video during launch, so that you see the earth receding underneath. For some of the biggest rockets, you can even glimpse the horizon and the edge of the earth’s atmosphere.

My initial goal is to just figure out what I’m doing (I have no experience working with electronics) and put together the basic parts to create a functional e-bay with a flight computer. This is one of my 2020 goals – and specifically a January 2020 goal because I have a lot more to do this year.