Draco
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Apogee
0.0lb
Weight
0.0ft
Length
#0
Result
Inside Draco
Draco was DRACO's first full competition campaign in the NASA Student Launch. The 125-inch vehicle launched on a Cesaroni L2375 White Thunder motor, reached apogee, deployed its dual-deployment recovery system, and was recovered safely with no major damage — carrying a fully 3D-printed autonomous rover and laying the engineering foundation every DRACO rocket has built on since.
/ Mission Sequence
Concept of Operations
Concept of Operations — ascent, dual-deployment recovery, and rover post-landing sequence.
Draco
Vehicle Overview
Internal-components overview · interactive labels coming soon
- Apogee
- 4,823 ft
- Weight
- 44.6 lb (wet)
- Length
- 10.4 ft
- Diameter
- 6 in
- Motor
- Cesaroni L2375 White Thunder
- Airframe
- G12 fiberglass airframes
/ Engineering Highlights
Key subsystems
3D-Printed Rover Payload
DRACO's first autonomous payload — exploded view of the rover, with a microcomputer, IMU, camera, and self-levelling actuators.
Payload Section View
Section view of the payload bay, showing how the rover integrates with the launch vehicle's retention system.
Rover Mechanical Design
Hands-on rover assembly — fully 3D-printed for design flexibility, balancing structural rigidity with a low payload mass.
Draco in Alabama
Launch footage, manufacturing, integration, and the team behind the mission.
Be Part of the Mission
Powered by people who believe in the mission
Explore the rest of the fleet, support the team, or join the next launch campaign.