Australian Universities Rocketry Competition Revision: 1.0 AURC-TDU Standard Operating Procedure Effective Date: 1/04/2019
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Australian Universities
Rocket Competition
2018/2019
AURC-TDU Standard Operating
Procedure (SOP)
Australian Universities Rocketry Competition Revision: 1.0 AURC-TDU Standard Operating Procedure Effective Date: 1/04/2019
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1 Introduction 3
1.1 Important Contact Information 3
1.2 AURC Committee Members 4
1.3 Abbreviations, Acronyms and Rocket Terminology 6
2 Schedule 7
2.1 AURC/TDU Events Summary 7
2.2 Competition Meals 8
2.3 AURC Awards Ceremony 8
3 AURC General Information and Conduct 9
3.1 General Information 9
3.1.1 Launch Site Location 9
3.1.2 Thunda Down Under Accommodation 10
3.1.3 Thunda Down Under Facilities 10
3.1.4 Thunda Down Under Approximate Site Layout 11
3.1.5 Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) 12
3.2 AURC Team Members Conduct 12
4 Flight Line Operations 13
4.1 Launch Schedule 13
4.2 Launch Process 13
4.3 Payload Scrutineering 14
4.4 Rocket Recovery 14
4.5 Post Flight Inspection 14
4.6 Flight Crew 15
5 Suggested Equipment 16
5.1 Team equipment 16
6.1. Personal equipment 16
6 Special thanks 18
6.1 Gift for the farmer 18
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1 Introduction This document serves to provide a standard operating procedure for AURC teams whilst
attending Thunda Down Under 2019. It contains critical information for all team members,
including:
• AURC event scheduling,
• AURC general information and conduct,
• Flight line operations, and,
• A suggested list of equipment to bring along to Thunda Down Under.
It is strongly advised that all team members read and familiarise themselves with this document
to ensure that the AURC launch event at TDU runs smoothly.
1.1 Important Contact Information Note that mobile phone and internet reception will be limited at the Thunda Down Under
launch site. As such, contacting the AURC by phone or email from Tuesday 16th April onwards
will likely be very difficult. Please ensure your team has asked all critical questions before this
time.
Teams Coordinators
Adam Yarrow Alan Kosinski
[email protected] [email protected]
0456 752 534 0466 097 472
Director - Lewis McCluskey
0499 084 586
Logistics Lead - Thien Nguyen
0413 976 772
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1.2 AURC Committee Members
Director
Lewis McCluskey
Secretary/Graphic Designer
Matthew Hildebrandt
Teams Coordinator - Lead
Adam Yarrow
Teams Coordinator
Alan Kosinski
Media and Communications
Luan Dinh
Finance and Strategy
Dominique MacDonald
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Logistics - Lead
Thien Nguyen
Logistics
Yu Shen Chia
IT Specialist
Albert Sztolc
Advisor/AYAA President
Conor MacDonald
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1.3 Abbreviations, Acronyms and Rocket Terminology
ACO Advanced Certification Officers (L3 certification officer)
AURC Australian Universities Rocketry Competition
AYAA Australian Youth Aerospace Association
CATO Catastrophic failure of a rocket
Heads Up Rocket about to be launched may be at risk of doing something unpredictable OR a rocket is coming down in an uncontrolled fashion. Will be required to be upstanding if this is announced.
Lawn Dart Rocket that came in ballistic and landed nose first into the ground
LCO Launch Control Officer (AMRS Official - governs rocket range/launches rockets)
RRC3 AURC approved altimeter
RSO Range Safety Officer (AMRS Official - approves rockets for launch)
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
TDU Thunda Down Under
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2 Schedule 2.1 AURC/TDU Events Summary
MASTER 17th April 2019 18th April 2019 19th April 2019 20th April 2019 21st April 2019
Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
8:00 AM
Travel to TDU
Set Up Booths + AURC Group Photo 8:00 - 9:00 AM
Gates Open to Public 8:30 AM
Gates Open to Public 8:30 AM
Pack Up and Leave
8:30 AM
9:00 AM Prototype Marking +
Team Photos 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Range Open
9:00AM - 4:00PM
TDU Launching Open 9:00 AM
TDU Launching Open 9:00 AM 9:30 AM
10:00 AM
Range Open 9:00AM - 4:30PM
Range Open 9:00AM - 4:00PM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
TDU Lunch 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
TDU Lunch TDU Lunch TDU Lunch
12:00 PM Parachute Display 12:00 PM
Parachute Display 12:00 PM
TDU Event Close 12:00 PM 12:30 PM
1:00 PM
Registration 1:00 - 4:00 PM
TDU Lunch TDU Lunch TDU Lunch
1:30 PM
Range Open 9:00AM - 4:00PM Range Open
9:00AM - 4:30PM
2:00 PM Rocket Drag Race 2:00 PM Start 2:30 PM
3:00 PM 3:30 PM
4:00 PM Range Closed to Public 4:00 PM Range Closed to Public ~4:00 PM
4:30 PM Range Closed to Public 4:30 PM
5:00 PM
AURC Welcome Ceremony 5:00 PM Start
Wall of Fire
5:00 PM 5:30 PM TDU Dinner
5:30 - 7:00 PM
TDU Dinner 5:30 - 7:00 PM 6:00 PM TDU Banquet
+ AURC Awards 6:00 PM Start
6:30 PM Movie Screening
6:00 PM Start 7:00 PM
7:30 PM
8:00 PM Fireworks Display
8:00 PM Start 8:30 PM
Legend
AURC Event TDU Meals Travel Rocket Range Time TDU Event Free Time
NOTES:
1. Timelines above are subject to change at any time due to variations in TDU’s schedule or other unexpected events.
2. The AURC Awards Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the TDU Banquet Under the Starts on the Saturday evening.
3. AURC registration will occur at the AURC tent (location to be confirmed at TDU).
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2.2 Competition Meals The AURC will nominally not be providing teams with food during the course of the competition.
As such, teams have two primary options for food during the competition:
1. Bring in their own food for the course of the competition and cook onsite using their
own equipment.
2. Purchase lunch and dinner meal packages from TDU (only available Thursday – Sunday,
excluding Saturday dinner).
NOTES:
1. TDU meal packages do not cover breakfast. As such, all teams will be required to bring
along their own food for breakfast.
2. TDU dinner packages are not available for the Saturday evening due to the TDU Banquet
Under the Stars.
3. The meal times shown in Section 2.1 are the times at which food will be available if you
purchase the TDU meal packages.
As catering is unavailable by TDU on the Wednesday, ALL teams will be required to make
suitable arrangements for their own dinner for the Wednesday evening.
2.3 AURC Awards Ceremony The winner of the AURC will be announced on the Saturday evening as part of the TDU Banquet
Under the Stars.
As such, ALL team members are required to purchase tickets to the TDU Banquet Under the
Stars for $55. After the competition has finished the AURC will be reimbursing all team members
who attend the banquet $45. TDU Banquet tickets can be purchased here:
https://thunda2.com.au/product/banquet-under-the-stars/
Details on the reimbursement process will be released after the competition has concluded and
will be managed through team leaders.
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3 AURC General Information and Conduct 3.1 General Information
3.1.1 Launch Site Location
The launch site is approximately 1 hour north of Goondiwindi, located on a working property
called “Funny Farm”.
The exact street address and GPS coordinates of the launch site are as follows:
Address = 9479 Meandarra-Talwood Rd, Bungunya.
GPS Coordinates = 28° 7’42.15″S 149°42’9.17″E
The following directions can be used when approaching Funny Farm from Brisbane (North):
• From Brisbane, make your way to Toowoomba.
• Leaving Toowoomba via Bridge St/Warrego Hwy/National Highway A2 (signs for
A2/Dalby), continue to follow Warrego Hwy/National Highway A2 for 80.2km to Dalby.
We recommend you refuel at Dalby or Moonie.
• At Dalby, turn left onto Moonie Hwy/Nicholson St/State Route 49 (signs for Tara/Saint
George/State Route 87). Continue to follow Moonie Hwy/State Route 49 for 184km.
• At the Westmar Roadhouse, turn left onto Meandarra-Talwood Rd and follow for
approximately 23km.
For approaching Funny Farm from Goondiwindi (South/West), the following directions apply:
• Head west on Barwon Highway for approximately 65km, then turn right onto Meandarra-
Talwood Rd and follow for approximately 33km.
Other critical information about the launch site/property is as follows:
1. Signage will indicate the direction of the campsite.
2. Please be mindful of kangaroos and other wildlife when driving around dusk/dawn.
3. If it rains and you are on a soft path/road, please get off it immediately or you will become
stuck.
4. There is an active unsealed airstrip on the site – DO NOT DRIVE ON THE AIRSTRIP
WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL.
5. Please drive at <40km/h on site.
6. Please avoid driving over crops or parking/stopping across any roads on site.
The image below shows the location of the launch site relative to Brisbane (Northern route
shown), along with other key towns.
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3.1.2 Thunda Down Under Accommodation
All AURC attendees are required to purchase a TDU ticket to attend the event. As part of the TDU
ticket onsite camping is included. The campsites provided by TDU are un-powered and campsite
locations will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
If your team does not wish to camp onsite, the Thunda Down Under website
(https://thunda2.com.au/getting-there-accommodation/) provides additional details on
alternative accommodation options.
NOTE: The alternate accommodation options typically have very limited availability.
3.1.3 Thunda Down Under Facilities
As the AURC is being run at Thunda Down Under 2019 (TDU), TDU will be providing the primary
amenities for all team members. The following facilities will be available and supplied by Thunda
Down Under, however they may have limited availability:
• Toilets,
• Camping spaces,
• On-site bar, and,
• Launch controller and launch rails.
NOTE: Mobile phone and internet coverage is extremely limited (likely Telstra coverage only).
Should your team have any queries regarding the facilities available at TDU 2019, please direct
these questions to [email protected].
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3.1.4 Thunda Down Under Approximate Site Layout
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3.1.5 Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (quadcopters, multirotors, etc.) is permitted under
certain conditions. If you wish to operate any UAS equipment please consult with the TDU
Launch Director.
3.2 AURC Team Members Conduct As a participating member of the AURC, a representative of your University and a patron of TDU,
you will be responsible for conducting yourself in a safe and respectable manner. In particular,
all AURC attendees will be required to abide by the following code of conduct:
1. Alcohol consumption of any form whilst the range is open will not be tolerated. Any members found to be under the influence of alcohol during the launch schedule will be subject to eviction.
2. Heavy drinking and intoxication will not be tolerated at any time - participants engaging in these activities will be asked to leave.
3. Possessing or being under the influence of any illicit substances during TDU/AURC will not be tolerated. Any members found to be under the influence, or in possession of, illicit substances will be subject to eviction and reported to the authorities.
4. Smoking is not permitted within the AURC-TDU facilities. Smoking is only permitted within the designated TDU smoking areas.
5. You will be responsible for the cleanliness of your areas, which includes the flight line, camping area, and all other AURC common areas etc. After the event is over, your team must pack up all equipment and ensure that no rubbish is left behind and the area is returned to its original condition.
6. Ensure that you are respectful to everyone, including the AURC Committee, TDU Staff, other competitors and the general public.
7. Maintain a high level of safety at all times during the event. Any activities deemed to be unsafe will result in either a penalty or immediate disqualification. To ensure that proper flight safety is upheld, please refer to AMRS and TDU Safety Guidelines.
8. As the AURC is being held in conjunction with TDU, you must not create any major disruptions to the TDU event (or the TDU Patrons).
9. Follow any reasonable instructions given by AURC Committee members or TDU/AMRS staff members.
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4 Flight Line Operations 4.1 Launch Schedule There will be no official launch schedule that teams will be required to follow during the AURC
launch window (18th April - 20th April). Launching order will be determined by a, first come, first
served basis (as per all standard AMRS launches). Access to the AURC range will be granted by
the TDU Range Safety Officer (RSO) and Launch Control Officer (LCO).
When your team wishes to launch you must first present your rocket to the TDU RSO before
requesting permission to access the AURC range through the TDU LCO. The AURC range will be
open alongside the standard TDU range as follows:
Thursday 18th: 9am - 4pm (see Note 2)
Friday 19th: 9am - 4:30pm
Saturday 20th: 9am - ~4pm
Sunday 21st: 9am - 12pm (Not available for AURC launches – See Note 3)
NOTES:
1. Teams must comply with all instructions from the RSO and LCO when operating within the
flight line.
2. On the Thursday 18th the AURC Prototype Vehicle Design marking will occur. As such, whilst
the rocket range will be open from 9am it is expected that teams will be taking part of the
AURC marking event as per the AURC schedule (see Section 2).
3. As the AURC Competition winners are to be announced on the Saturday evening any
launches conducted by teams on the Sunday morning will not count towards the
competition. However, if your team wishes to make the most of TDU please feel free to
conduct any final launches during this time.
TDU is first and foremost a rocket event. All teams and participants are encouraged to bring their
rockets of all sizes to fly throughout the event. This is an opportunity to fly your low/mid power
and L1/L2 certification rockets again.
4.2 Launch Process The following steps outline the general process that AURC teams should follow when launching:
1. Prior to launch present your rocket and payload to the AURC Committee tent for payload
marking.
2. Prepare your rocket for launch.
3. Advise AMRS ACO of your intent to undertake an L3 certification [As required].
4. Present your rocket to the RSO for review and approval for flight.
5. Take your rocket and flight card to the LCO for approval to set up your rocket on the range.
6. Set up your rocket at the launch pad - get a group photo!
7. Return to the flight line and launch your rocket.
8. Recover your rocket and return to the flight line.
9. Present your rocket to an AMRS ACO for review [As required].
10. Present your rocket to the AURC Committee for post flight inspection and altitude
recording (flight performance marking).
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4.3 Payload Scrutineering Scrutineering of each team’s payload will be undertaken at the AURC main tent. Payloads may be
inspected anytime whilst the rocket range is open (see Section 4.1 for details). If your team wishes
to have your payload scrutinised please see one of the AURC Committee members at the AURC
main tent.
Every team’s payload will be required to be inspected before launch and will be marked in
accordance with the latest version of the AURC Flight Performance Marking Criteria/AURC Awards
and Scoring document. The AURC Committee strongly suggests having your payload inspected
early in the day/competition in order to avoid placing any unnecessary stress on your team’s
rocket preparation procedure.
NOTE: The AURC Committee will have limited opportunity to review payloads during the Prototype
Vehicle Marking. As such, we ask that only teams who wish to launch immediately on the Thursday
morning bring their payload up for inspection after their team’s Prototype Vehicle Design
presentation.
4.4 Rocket Recovery Teams are advised to retrieve their rockets in accordance with the guidance of the LCO/RSO (i.e.
waiting until the range is open to traverse it to collect a rocket). The AURC committee will not
be required to oversee the recovery process of your rocket.
Once your team has recovered your rocket and have returned to the flight line you will be
required to present your rocket to the AURC Committee at the AURC main tent for a post flight
inspection.
NOTE: For teams attempting an L3 certification you will need to first present your rocket to an
Advanced Certifying Officer (ACO) for review prior to inspection by the AURC Committee post
recovery.
4.5 Post Flight Inspection Upon retrieval of your rocket and return to the flight line your rocket will be required to be
inspected by the AURC Committee for flight performance marking. If your team is attempting an
L3 certification you will first be required to present your rocket to the relevant ACO for
inspection.
Inspection of your rocket will occur at the AURC Committee tent. Post flight inspection will
involve:
1. Downloading of your flight’s peak altitude:
a. For teams using an RRC3 this will be done through the use of a Missile Works
LCD display provided by the AURC Committee.
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b. For teams that are not using an RRC3 altimeter you will have to ensure that you
have the required software or capability available on the launch day to provide
the AURC with your peak altitude.
2. Physical inspection of your rocket for damage as per the recovery section of the AURC
Flight Performance Marking Criteria.
NOTE: The AURC Committee will not be releasing any flight performance marks breakdowns until
after the competition winners are announced on the Saturday evening.
4.6 Flight Crew To minimise the congestion, risk and the time associated with setting up and clearing the flight
range the AURC recommends that the minimum number of people necessary to set up your
rocket are present on the flight line.
If your team would like to have a group photo taken with your rocket prior to flight, teams
MUST advise the LCO prior to entering the range to obtain their approval.
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5 Suggested Equipment 5.1 Team equipment Whilst every team will have their own requirements on what specific equipment they will need
during the course of the competition, the AURC strongly suggests bringing the following items
(at a minimum) along to TDU:
Category Item
General Basic first aid equipment
Gazebo/(s)
Tables
Hard copies of any critical documentation (SOP, insurance, processes, final report, etc)
Rocket Equipment Masking Tape
Superglue
Basic hand-tools for in the field repairs
Spare batteries
Epoxy
AMRS Group Membership Holder
AMRS membership card
Explosives licence
OpenRocket printouts
6.1. Personal equipment The following equipment is strongly recommended to be taken to TDU by each team member
(at a minimum):
Category Item
General Camp Chair
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Water bottles (multiple)
Cash (for purchases on site) *EFTPOS may not be available onsite
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Torch (plus spare batteries)
Snacks
Insect Repellent
Toiletries (including toilet paper)
Clothing Sunsafe shirt (long sleeve)
Sunsafe pants (long pants)
Broad brimmed hat
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6 Special thanks The AURC Committee would like to take the time to thank all of the members of AMRS, Thunda
Down Under organisers and sponsors who have put time, effort and money into helping the
AURC succeed. A very special thanks is required for Blake Nikolic who this event would not have
been possible without.
6.1 Gift for the farmer In addition, TDU and AURC would not be possible without the use of the land owned by a certain
farmer 🤠. We strongly encourage you to bring a small gift from your respective
university/state to be given to the farmer as a collective thank you contribution on behalf of all
of the inaugural AURC competitors.