Development of a solid rocket motor utilizing an ammonium nitrate based propellant

Abstract

TRACZ -Testing Robotic Applications for Catching in Zero-g is a fully autonomous mechatronic experiment, launched on March 19, 2019, on board the REXUS rocket, during the 26th Campaign of the REXUS/BEXUS Programme. The main goal of the experiment was to investigate the jamming phenomenon in the space environment (microgravity and vacuum) as well as to construct a version of industry device known as jamming gripper, capable of operating in conditions where negative pressure (physical basis of operation in Earth-like conditions) cannot be obtained due to the presence of only a residual atmosphere. The structure was designed as 1-DOF manipulator, whose effector is an elastic membrane that stimulates jamming of ground coffee particles inside. During the suborbital flight, a series of catcheswere performed on a single object and the force with which the object is held was measured. The results were compared with an on-ground experiment.