Mission 002: A Series Rocket Finch Model 2

For the our next mission OOPS was given the task of getting to at least 30km. An achievable task given the fact that our scientist developed a smaller solid fuel rocket. It is estimated that 2 of these would be sufficient to achieve that height. The also developed an external battery as well as a barometric pressure device for collecting data on air pressure. The end result of all this was the Finch 2 rocket.


This model, made of 3 solid fuel rockets placed in 2 stage, carried 3 external batteries, thermometer, barometer and transmitter. The gold was to get to at least 30km and take barometric measurements between 12.5km and 30km and both barometric and temperature measurements after 30km.



We had great success. The 2 smaller rockets lifted the craft into the air and around 3,500 meters the large booster kicked in.  At 15km , we confirmed our first temperature readings that the air was getting colder. Then around 18km we discovered that the pressure was dropping the higher we went. Around 20kmthe large rocket depleted all of its fuel. At 25km, the Finch was still climbing spaceward over 600 meters per second. Soon the Finch broke 30km on its way to a new record height of 35km, during which we recorded and transmited that the air was pretty darn chilly and the atmosphere was quite thin. Maybe if we plan to send Kerbals up there they will need some form of a compartment or capsule.



There was nothing left to recover as the craft crashed back into Kerbin. Maybe we should think about a recovery system as well.