The team was composed by: Francesco Armillotta, Alessandro Lotti, Lorenzo Padovani, Matteo Sarti, Gianluca Sibilio, and Davide Zucchini.

The project involved designing a small solid rocket motor in accordance with the specified requirements. This work was supervised by Prof. Fabrizio Ponti as part of the Aerospace Propulsion Systems course within the Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering. The project initiation was marked by a seminar led by Eng. Adriano Annovazzi from Avio S.p.A., providing valuable guidance and insights into solid rocket design.

In this project, I specifically assumed responsibility for the solid propellant geometry, thermal protection, liner, and internal ballistic aspects. The activity proved to be a significant success, not only in terms of acquiring technical skills but also in learning the dynamics of teamwork. I refrained from publishing the final presentation and project codes to mitigate potential issues associated with Avio's intellectual property.

Main motor specifications:

• Propellant type based on HTPB-Aluminum-Ammonium Perchlorate.
• Maximum Aluminum mass content into the propellant: 5%.
• Total impulse I > 15 kNs including uncertainty and dispersion.
• Total mass of motor including igniter M < 8.5 kg.
• Maximum total length L < 410 mm.
• Fixed nozzle (no flexible joint).
• Nozzle axis as motor axis (no keying angle).
• Low impact on cost (in development and production phases).
• Thrust performance must be inside the graph.