Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a 3D-Printed Model Rocket with Integrated Telemetry Systems

This study presents the design, fabrication, and experimental validation of the Hermes reusable model rocket platform integrating additive manufacturing, onboard sensing, and telemetry capabilities for low-cost aerospace experimentation. The rocket was manufactured using modular Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) components produced through fused filament fabrication to achieve a lightweight and structurally robust configuration suitable for repeated flight operations. A custom flight computer based on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W was developed to acquire in-flight data from an inertial measurement unit, barometric pressure sensor, and Global Positioning System module, while an onboard camera enabled post-flight trajectory assessment. Aerodynamic performance and stability were evaluated using OpenRocket simulations, and propulsion was provided by a cluster of Klima D9-5 solid rocket motors. Four experimental flights were conducted to evaluate the integrated system architecture, assess telemetry and sensor performance, and compare experimental flight data with simulation predictions. The recorded measurements successfully captured the primary flight phases, including launch, ascent, apogee, descent, and recovery. The experimental results showed qualitative agreement with the simulated flight profiles; however, deviations in apogee altitude, acceleration, and flight duration were observed due to aerodynamic drag, environmental disturbances, motor-performance variability, and implementation-related limitations. The flight campaigns additionally identified practical challenges associated with wireless telemetry reliability, GPS signal acquisition, electronic protection, and parachute deployment, leading to iterative system improvements. From a sensing perspective, the flight campaigns demonstrate the operation and limitations of a low-cost embedded acquisition architecture under dynamic conditions, including the effects of sampling rate, sensor calibration, synchronization, wireless-link interruption, and local data preservation on the quality of the recorded flight measurements. The presented platform demonstrates the feasibility of combining low-cost additive manufacturing techniques with commercially available embedded electronics for reusable aerospace testing and educational applications. The proposed system further provides a flexible experimental framework for flight-data acquisition, simulation validation, and iterative development in academic and amateur rocketry research.