A rocket that lands by itself

About the project

A prototype with an electric ducted fan (EDF) and thrust vectoring hovers automatically and lands in a controlled way. Stability is ensured by a cascade of controllers.

A rocket standing on its thrust jet is unstable – any small tilt quickly grows without intervention. By deflecting the thrust direction ( thrust vector control) the controller creates a torque that returns the rocket to the vertical, while controlling its altitude through the thrust magnitude.

How it works

1. The EDF drive – an electric fan in a duct – provides the thrust for take-off and hovering.
2. Thrust vectoring deflects the jet and so corrects the rocket's tilt.
3. A cascade of controllers: the inner loop quickly stabilises the angle and angular velocity, the outer loop controls the altitude and position until a controlled landing.