OVERVIEW
This is the staging cone that I helped manufacture with other members of the MIT Rocket Team. The cone consists of two parts: the base and the upper part of the cone. These two parts hold the two stages of the rocket together during flight. The base attaches to the mission package tube, which is the main body of the booster. The upper part fits into the sustainer's engine. The staging cone is designed in such a way as to allow the two stages of the rocket (the booster and sustainer) to drag separate during flight.
MANUFACTURING
This project required the use of various tools to bring the staging cone from CAD to reality. I learned how to use a lathe, which we used to turn down aluminum stock to the correct diameter. I also had the opportunity to use a radial indexer on a mill, which we used to drill the holes in precise locations.
