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The Client:
Space Concordia Rocketry is a remarkable student-led Space/Aerospace Organization with whom Thern had the honor to collaborate and provide a solution. Headquartered within Concordia University in Quebec, Canada, space enthusiasts come together and create record-breaking applications. Such as the most powerful liquid-fueled rocket engine ever built by university students. Space Concordia teaches and trains young scientists and engineers through hands-on work and imparts an attitude of persistence and collaboration. When contacted by a student representative of the program, Thern could not pass up the opportunity to work with the people who are the future of space exploration.
The Challenge:
The challenge tackled by Space Concordia – Rocketry Division was designing a launch platform to send their rocket into space. Specifically, they needed to lift their rocket from a horizontal position into a vertical position. They engineered a system of cables and wires rigged to the top of their tower. They just needed something to lift the tower up. The aggressive goal of this project is sending that rocket past the Karman line. This line has an altitude well over 100km (62 miles) high. This will break the world record for the highest student designed/constructed rocket launch in history.
The students expressed they struggled to find the perfect winch to raise their rocket tower. The first winch they purchased didn’t have the power to lift up the tower, so they were feeling uneasy. That’s when Space Concordia Rocketry reached out to Thern, hopeful to find exactly what they were looking for.
When speaking with Tim Anderson, a member of Thern’s Technical Sales Team, Space Concordia conveyed that the winch would need to safely lift a minimum load of 3,000 lbs while running on 120V power. The modest power supply was important to the students. They could find themselves in remote areas for their launch operations. Another requirement was for the winch fit in a compact space and still run smoothly. Tim, reviewed the potential winches from Thern that would meet their requirements and recommended the Thern 4WS Series.
The Solution:
When Space Concordia first reached out to Thern they expressed that as a student society, funding was tight and their budget to purchase the winch was limited. The Thern team saw an opportunity to support this group of gifted young people and agreed to donate the winch necessary to position their rocket for launch. The winch that we provided was a 4WS3M10-3500-7-A, the perfect fit for this project. The student organization stated when they first started this project, the anticipated lift requirement of 3,000 pounds was less than what was eventually required.
Fortunately, Thern’s 4WS winch has the capability to lift up to 6,000 lbs so it was ready for the heavier lift. The Space Concordia team is still working on the final stages of this project. However, are getting closer to the finish line and are satisfied with their Thern 4WS Winch. When talking with the Concordia team, Emma Lodge who has worked closely with this project said, “[The winch] is more than we ever hoped for!” A positive response from this hard-working crew and the opportunity to play a small part in helping these students realize their dreams was satisfying for Thern team.
We’re honored to work with such a great group of students providing them a solution. If interested in learning more about Space Concordia and what other intriguing projects they work on, check out their website. Learn more about the 4WS Series Electric Winch by contacting a Thern Sales Rep today!