Thrust Vector Control Mount

This instructable was created in fulfillment of the project requirement of the Makecourse at the University of South Florida (www.makecourse.com).

One problem when launching a rocket or missile is to keep it in its desired flight path. Most hobbyists attach fins on their rocket to help stabilize their flight. What the professional rocket companies like NASA and SpaceX do is something called Thrust Vector Control. What that means is the direction of the rocket engine nozzles are controlled based on the orientation of the rocket. What I designed here is an extremely scaled-down system that can be used for hobby model rockets. This was done using a 3D-printed gimbal mechanism controlled by two micro servos. The software was all done using C++.

2 - Small 2x3inch Breadboards

1 - Arduino Nano Every (or any other Arduino model)

1 - Adafruit BNO055 Absolute Orientation Sensor

1 - Micro SD Card Adapter Module

1 - Micro SD Card

5 - LEDs of different colors

1 - Pack of Breadboard Jumper Wires

2 - Micro Servos

The thrust vector gimbal must be strong enough to withstand the forces from the rocket motor, but also light weight so the rocket isn't too heavy. The gimbal consists of two 3D-printed pieces, an inner ring and an outer ring. Included are two slots for the servos to be mounted. These must be attached using M3.

This step is just wiring up the electronics. Make sure to wire it exactly as seen in the picture above.

All programming was done in the Arduino IDE using C++. Please read the comments within the code to better understand how it works.

Libraries:

Adafruit_Sensor.h

Adafruit_BNO055.h

Wire.h

Servo.h

SPI.h

SD.h

Code: