Development of an Open-Source Model Rocket Flight Stability Computer and Filter

Abstract

The modern rocketry era has made advanced flight-control concepts increasingly visible, from the growth of orbital launch activity to the routine recovery of rockets through upright propulsive landing. However, educational tools available to students and hobbyists often remain separated from these modern control concepts. Open-source tools such as OpenRocket have shown the value of accessible, education-focused platforms for model rocket design and simulation, but fewer resources provide a complete, published, and experimentally tested approach for active stabilization in hobbyist-scale rockets. This thesis presents the development of an open-source actively stabilized model rocket platform, focusing on the avionics, sensing, flight data collection, and steering methods needed for gravity-referenced stabilization. The system uses onboard inertial sensing to estimate the local gravity vector and commands the control surfaces to reduce lateral tilt relative to the local gravity vector during ascent. This approach is distinct from guidance, as the rocket does not navigate toward a target location or commanded trajectory. Instead, the objective is to provide active stabilization using a physically intuitive reference suitable for educational-scale vehicles. The platform integrates low-cost embedded hardware, inertial measurement sensors, high-G acceleration sensing, onboard data logging, and active fin control to support repeatable flight testing and post-flight analysis. Flight data are used to evaluate the behavior of the stabilization system and examine practical limitations introduced by sensor noise, accelerometer saturation, vibration, and non-gravitational acceleration during powered flight. The goal of this work is to provide an approachable and customizable open-source platform for students, educators, and hobbyists interested in aerospace control systems. Potential applications include classroom demonstrations, student competitions, altitude-targeting challenges, and experimental model rocket projects where safe, efficient, and repeatable flight behavior is desired.