BU Rocket Propulsion Group · In progress
ARGO aerodynamic fairing
Ongoing aerodynamic design work for a cover around ARGO's external downcomer and wiring.
Project Engineer · July 2026–present · Status updated September 12, 2026
Objective
ARGO routes a downcomer and wiring along the outside of the rocket, which creates aerodynamic, thermal, and packaging challenges. I am helping evaluate a fairing that protects those components while limiting drag.
I am analyzing the vehicle at a Mach 2.81 design condition with ANSYS Fluent, OpenRocket, and first-principles calculations. The team completed its Conceptual Design Review on September 3, 2026 and is now preparing for Preliminary Design Review.
Approach
- The previous Icarus aerocover as a baseline.
- Leading-edge profiles, midsection shapes, and trailing-edge or boattail concepts, including tangent-ogive and power-law profiles.
- Drag and thermal behavior alongside geometry accuracy, cost, attachment, and manufacturing constraints.
A fairing attached to a rocket body is only a partial revolution, so results from a fully revolved nose cone do not transfer directly. Each comparison therefore uses the installed geometry and the same reference area.
Current status
Current work covers stagnation temperature and pressure, early material screening, and candidate CFD models. For Preliminary Design Review, I am preparing a baseline-versus-candidate comparison with common boundary conditions, followed by a manufacturing and attachment recommendation.