Recovery

The Recovery Department develops the systems that bring ASTRA’s rockets safely back to the ground after flight. Its responsibility begins near apogee, when the vehicle has reached its highest point, and continues until the rocket has landed safely and can be recovered.

Parachute & Deployment Systems
Recovery designs the parachutes and deployment mechanisms used to slow the vehicle during descent. Depending on the mission, this can involve multiple recovery stages, such as an initial drogue parachute followed by the deployment of the main parachute closer to the ground.

Separation & Mechanical Systems
The team develops the mechanisms that separate sections of the rocket and release the parachutes at the correct point in the flight. These systems have to operate reliably after experiencing the loads, vibrations, and environmental conditions of launch.

Testing & Validation
Recovery systems are extensively tested before they are allowed to fly. Members conduct deployment tests, packing tests, mechanical tests, and complete system tests together with Avionics to ensure that flight events are detected correctly and the recovery sequence works as intended.

What Does the Work Look Like?
Work in Recovery combines mechanical design, aerodynamics, textiles, parachute sizing, CAD, prototyping, manufacturing, and testing. Members may work on anything from calculating descent rates and designing deployment mechanisms to sewing parachutes, packing flight systems, and supporting launch and recovery operations.