ASTRA-1 — Student-Built Autonomous Flight Computer

What is ASTRA-1?

ASTRA-1 is a student-built autonomous flight computer designed to explore the fundamentals of aerospace avionics, embedded systems, and flight telemetry. The project combines sensors, firmware, and custom hardware to simulate how modern flight computers monitor and record data during a rocket flight.

Built around the ESP32 microcontroller, ASTRA-1 collects altitude, acceleration, and motion data, displays live telemetry, and stores flight logs for post-flight analysis. The project was created to gain hands-on experience with aerospace electronics by designing and building a complete embedded avionics system rather than only studying theoretical concepts.

The system is designed with a modular architecture, allowing future integration of additional sensors, wireless communication, and more advanced flight-control capabilities.

How does ASTRA-1 work?

ASTRA-1 uses an ESP32 microcontroller as its central processing unit, communicating with onboard sensors through I²C and SPI interfaces.

The BMP280/BME280 barometric sensor continuously measures atmospheric pressure to estimate altitude, while the MPU6050 inertial measurement unit provides acceleration and motion data throughout the flight. The firmware processes these sensor readings in real time to detect launch events, monitor flight conditions, and generate live telemetry.

Flight data is simultaneously written to a microSD card, enabling detailed post-flight analysis and performance evaluation. During development, telemetry can also be viewed through the serial monitor for debugging and testing.

The hardware is organized in a modular stacked design, making individual components easy to access, replace, and upgrade. The system has also been designed to support future expansion, including GPS, wireless telemetry, improved power management, and additional avionics modules.

Features

• ESP32-based flight computer
• Real-time altitude measurement using BMP280/BME280
• Motion and acceleration sensing with MPU6050
• Launch detection logic
• Live telemetry output
• Flight-data logging to microSD card
• Modular hardware architecture
• USB-powered development mode
• Custom PCB prototype
• Expandable firmware architecture
• Designed for aerospace learning and experimentation

Hardware

The current prototype includes:

• ESP32 Development Board
• MPU6050 IMU
• BMP280/BME280 Barometric Sensor
• microSD Card Module
• AMS1117 3.3V Voltage Regulator
• LiPo Battery
• Jumper Wires
• M3 Standoffs and Screws

PCB Development

ASTRA-1 includes a custom PCB that is currently in its prototype stage.

The board has been developed to:

• Validate ESP32 connectivity
• Test communication with onboard sensors
• Verify power distribution
• Improve hardware reliability
• Learn PCB design, routing, and manufacturing workflows

Each design iteration improves routing quality, board compactness, sensor placement, and overall system integration, making the project an ongoing learning experience in hardware engineering.

My Contributions

As the sole developer of ASTRA-1, I was responsible for every aspect of the project, including:

• System architecture and avionics design
• Embedded firmware development for ESP32
• Sensor integration using I²C and SPI communication
• Launch detection and telemetry logic
• Flight-data logging implementation
• Custom PCB design and prototyping
• CAD modeling and mechanical design
• Hardware assembly and wiring
• Testing, debugging, and iterative hardware improvements
• Repository organization and technical documentation

Future Plans

The long-term goal of ASTRA-1 is to evolve into a more capable and compact flight computer suitable for advanced aerospace experimentation.

Planned improvements include:

• Fully integrated custom PCB
• GPS positioning
• Wireless telemetry transmission
• OLED status display
• Improved power management
• Smaller avionics stack
• Enhanced flight-state detection
• Flight stabilization support
• Higher-frequency data logging
• Real rocket flight testing after extensive ground validation