The E-Rocket: Low-cost Testbed for TVC Rocket GNC Validation

TL;DR

The paper introduces E-Rocket, a low-cost, electric rocket prototype designed for validating GNC algorithms with thrust vector control, using off-the-shelf components and indoor motion capture validation.

Contribution

It presents a novel, affordable rocket testbed integrating commercial parts, 3D printing, and a dual computer setup with PX4 and ROS 2 for GNC algorithm testing.

Findings

Accurate trajectory tracking demonstrated in indoor tests.

The platform confirms suitability for GNC algorithm validation.

Uses commercially available components and 3D printing.

Abstract

This paper presents the E-Rocket, an electric-powered, low-cost rocket prototype for validation of Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) algorithms based on Thrust Vector Control (TVC). Relying on commercially available components and 3D printed parts, a pair of contra-rotating DC brushless motors is assembled on a servo-actuated gimbal mechanism that provides thrust vectoring capability. A custom avionics hardware and software stack is developed considering a dual computer setup which leverages the capabilities of the PX4 autopilot and the modularity of ROS 2 to accommodate for tailored GNC algorithms. The platform is validated in an indoor motion-capture arena using a baseline PID-based trajectory tracking controller. Results demonstrate accurate trajectory tracking and confirm the suitability of the E-Rocket as a versatile testbed for rocket GNC algorithms.