Rocket Configurations¶
Overview¶
The Apogee Peregrine is designed for dual-deployment but can be flown in simplified configuration.
L1 & L2 Certification Complete
L2 flight (22 Feb 2026): Full-length configuration (175cm), dual deploy electronic recovery (CATS Vega). See Certification for details. L1 flight (24 Jan 2026): Full-length configuration (175cm), motor ejection recovery.
Configurations Flown¶
| Level | Configuration | Recovery | Rocket Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Full length, no e-bay deployment | Motor ejection | 175 cm |
| L2 | Full length, dual deploy | Electronic dual-deploy + motor backup | 175 cm |
L1 Configuration (as flown)¶
Flight: 24 January 2026
Hardware¶
- Full-length airframe with e-bay (carried CATS Vega for logging only)
- Single 48" main parachute
- Motor ejection delay
- Nose ballast for stability (~300-600g epoxy)
Recovery Sequence¶
- Motor burns out
- Delay charge burns (selected delay time)
- Ejection charge fires
- Nose cone separates, main chute deploys
- Rocket descends under single parachute
Why This Configuration¶
- Fewer failure modes for first certification
- Swedish safety rules required ejection charge testing — motor ejection as fallback
- Traditional L1 approach
- Proves basic HPR competency
Stability Challenge¶
Removing e-bay deployment function moves risk profile. See OpenRocket Analysis.
L2 Configuration (as flown)¶
Flight: 22 February 2026
Hardware¶
- Full airframe with electronics bay
- CATS Vega flight computer controlling deployment
- 18" drogue parachute (upper section)
- 48" main parachute (lower section)
- Motor delay charge (14s, unmodified) as safety backup
Recovery Sequence¶
- Motor burns out
- Rocket coasts to apogee
- Apogee: Flight computer fires drogue charge (electronic #1)
- Drogue deploys, fast descent (~15-20 m/s)
- Lower altitude: Flight computer fires main charge (electronic #2)
- Main chute deploys, slow descent (~5 m/s)
- Rocket lands close to pad
Motor's original 14s delay charge left unmodified as a third, independent backup ejection source.
Why Dual Deployment¶
- Required by 500m landing radius constraint — simulations showed that with main-only recovery from ~1000m, any wind above 4 m/s would carry the rocket beyond the allowed radius
- Smaller landing footprint
- Reduced wind drift
- What Peregrine is designed for
Component Summary¶
| Component | L1 Config | L2 Config |
|---|---|---|
| Body tube | Full length | Full length |
| Electronics bay | ✓ Installed (logging only) | ✓ Controls deployment |
| CATS Vega | Data logging only | ✓ Controls deployment |
| Drogue chute | ❌ None | ✓ 18" at apogee |
| Main chute | ✓ 48" | ✓ 48" at lower altitude |
| Electronic charges | ❌ None | ✓ 2× black powder |
| Motor backup charge | ✓ Primary deployment | ✓ 14s safety backup |
| Deployment | Motor delay | Electronic + motor backup |
| Nose ballast | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
Flight Parameters¶
| Parameter | L1 (actual) | L2 (actual) |
|---|---|---|
| Rocket mass (no motor) | ~2350g (liftoff) | ~3100g (liftoff) |
| Length | 175 cm | 175 cm |
| Motor | H128W-14A | J350 |
| Apogee | 141.6 m | ~1000 m (estimated) |