DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTISTAGE ROCKET TEST PLATFORM TO DELIVER CUBESAT FORM FACTOR TO NEAR-SPACE ALTITUDES

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Small Satellite Lab places heavy emphasis on the research, development, and integration of emerging technologies on future spacecraft. An integral part of the advancement of these technologies is the ability to test them in real-world environmental conditions. CubeSats remain a viable choice for rapid prototyping and proof-of-concept testing. Delivering CubeSats to near-space environments is a method of demonstrating the feasibility of these new technologies. Amateur high-power rocketry offers an additional platform to augment the already existing high-altitude balloons by delivering payloads containing the new technologies and CubeSat form factor small satellites to near-space environments. Previous NPS research has produced a single stage high-power rocket capable of attaining an approximate altitude of 11.9 km (39,000 feet) above ground level. This thesis applies optimal control theory to develop a multi-stage rocket capable of altitudes in excess of what was previously reached by both high-altitude balloons and the previously designed high-power rocket.