Merit Badge Capstone Project

Telemetry Rocket — Mission Control Build

Executive Summary

Scouts design, build, launch, and analyze a model rocket carrying a live telemetry payload (LILYGO T-Beam Supreme flight computer, Heltec LoRa ground receiver). The build turns the Space Exploration badge into a full mission-control experience and gives Aviation, Engineering, and AI Scouts real flight data to work with — the AI badge project requirement is satisfied by using an AI coding assistant, under counselor supervision, to write and debug the telemetry firmware in six small, testable stages.

Covers 14 requirement items across 5 badges.

Requirements This Project Checks Off

Requirement IDs link back to the corresponding badge page, where the full official text and checklist live. The counselor note under each badge explains how this project maps onto the badge's intent.

Space Exploration

Used as the model-rocket build-and-launch requirement and the second-launch objective.

3. Model Rocket
Build, launch, and recover a model rocket. Make a second launch to accomplish a specific objective. Rocket must be built to meet the safety code of the National Association of Rocketry. Alternative if local laws prohibit launching: make a model of a NASA rocket, explain the functions of the parts, and give the history of the rocket. Identify and explain the following rocket parts:

Counselor note: Build, launch, recover, and make a second objective-driven launch.
4. Principles of Space Flight
Discuss and demonstrate each of the following:

Counselor note: Sketch / identify rocket parts using the real payload bay and flight computer.
5. Missions
Do TWO of the following:

Counselor note: Discuss safety code and NAR rules during pre-flight briefings.

Artificial Intelligence

Satisfies the AI badge project option. Scouts use AI to help write and debug firmware in six supervised stages.

6. Developing AI Skills
Do the following and share what you learned with your counselor:

Counselor note: Hands-on prompt engineering on real embedded code (T-Beam firmware + Heltec ground log).
7a. Practical Application — 7(a)
With your counselor's approval, choose an artificial intelligence project based on your personal interest or a community need. Develop a plan outlining the project's objectives, data requirements, and potential ethical considerations. Implement the project utilizing appropriate artificial intelligence tools, languages, or platforms. Share your project with your counselor.

Counselor note: Documented AI-assisted project with written objective, prompt log, and ethics note.

Aviation

Altitude and GPS data from the payload become the discussion material for four-forces, control surfaces, and instrument readings.

1e. Aviation Basics and Mechanics of Flight — 1(e)
Using a model aircraft, describe the four forces that act on an aircraft in flight.

Counselor note: Use real altitude / velocity traces to describe the four forces acting during boost, coast, and descent.
1h. Aviation Basics and Mechanics of Flight — 1(h)
Explain the purposes and functions of the various instruments found in a typical single-engine aircraft: attitude indicator, heading indicator, altimeter, airspeed indicator, turn and bank indicator, vertical speed indicator, compass, navigation, communication, and engine performance indicators.

Counselor note: Map telemetry channels (altitude, heading, vertical speed) to the aircraft instruments they mimic.

Engineering

A clean end-to-end engineering cycle: requirements, trade study, build, test, data analysis, iterate.

3. Six Types of Engineers
Explain the work of six types of engineers. Pick two of the six types and explain how their work is related to engineering.

Counselor note: Define the design problem, trade rocket/motor options, and document the chosen solution.
4. Visit with an Engineer
Visit with an engineer (who may be your counselor, parent or guardian) and do the following:

Counselor note: Make measurements before, during, and after flight; compare predicted vs. actual performance.
5. Systems Engineering Design
Use the systems engineering approach to design an original piece of patrol equipment, a toy or a useful device for the home, office or garage.

Counselor note: Systems-engineering the payload: needs → requirements → concept → trade → design → verification.

Programming

Real embedded C/C++ written across two environments (Arduino-style on T-Beam and ground receiver) — a legitimate Programming req 5 project with input, decisions, and output.

3a. General Knowledge — 3(a)
Create a list of five popular programming languages in use today and describe which industry or industries they are primarily used in and why.

Counselor note: The firmware uses C/C++ and Python (ground-side CSV analysis) — two of the five popular languages Scouts list.
3b. General Knowledge — 3(b)
Describe three different programmed devices you rely on every day.

Counselor note: The T-Beam and Heltec are themselves programmed devices — concrete examples for the discussion.
5a. Project — 5(a)
In the first language and environment, write or modify a program, debug and demonstrate, and explain as above.

Counselor note: First environment: T-Beam flight firmware in Arduino/PlatformIO — take sensor input, decide what to packetize, output LoRa telemetry.
5b. Project — 5(b)
In the second language and environment, write or modify a program, debug and demonstrate, and explain as above.

Counselor note: Second environment: Heltec ground receiver firmware — parse incoming packets, decide what to keep, output serial/CSV.

Project Details

Executive summary

A Scout-built model rocket that carries a live telemetry payload, streams altitude and GPS over LoRa to a laptop-connected ground radio, and logs the flight as a CSV file. After each flight, Scouts compare predicted and measured performance, swap motors or rocket bodies, and iterate — the same engineering cycle used on real aerospace programs, scaled to a troop meeting.

Hardware

LILYGO T-Beam Supreme (US915) — flight computer with ESP32-S3, GPS, LoRa radio, onboard sensors
Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 (902–928 MHz) — USB ground receiver
Estes Lil' Spite rocket kit (2.0 in diameter, ~292 g dry) — leaves margin for the payload
Estes Pro Series II 29 mm motor retainer (motors swap quickly during testing)
Estes E16-4 engine pack (primary) and optional F15-4 for a motor comparison
Optional: Estes Jayhawk for a larger airframe if packaging is tight

Estimated cost for the core setup is about $167–$170 before tax and shipping.

Six-stage AI-assisted build

Read GPS and sensor data on the T-Beam
Package telemetry data into a simple message
Transmit the message over LoRa
Receive the data on the Heltec
Log the telemetry to a laptop as CSV
Review the data after flight and compare rocket bodies or motor choices

Why it fits the badges

The project turns Space Exploration into a real mission-team experience, gives Aviation Scouts authentic flight data, supports the Engineering design cycle end-to-end, and gives the Artificial Intelligence badge a serious, supervised coding project instead of a toy chatbot prompt.

Rocket Sizing Sandbox

Rocket Altitude Calculator & Flight Sim

Pick a stock Estes airframe and motor, then add the telemetry payload weight. The simulator runs a numerical flight model (thrust, gravity, and drag at every 20 ms step) and animates the trajectory. Treat the altitude as a teaching estimate — wind, exact drag coefficient, and rod tip-off all shift the real number.

Airframe (Estes kit) Motor Telemetry payload weight: 25 g

Predicted apogee—

Burnout velocity—

Time to apogee—

Liftoff thrust-to-weight—

Schedule & Time Commitment

Total time: about 14 hours of counselor time.

Eight 90-minute sessions across eight weeks, plus one Saturday launch day (3–4 hours). Patrol rhythm — can run weekly in troop meetings or condensed into a two-week 'summer camp' intensive.

Session	Hours	Focus
Session 1 (week 1)	1.5	Kickoff, mission definition, safety brief, pick rocket + motor, order parts.
Session 2 (week 2)	1.5	Rocket assembly: body, fins, recovery. Read through NAR safety code.
Session 3 (week 3)	1.5	T-Beam firmware stage 1–2: read GPS + sensors, package the message. AI-assisted coding session.
Session 4 (week 4)	1.5	T-Beam firmware stage 3 + Heltec stage 4: LoRa transmit and receive. Bench test outside.
Session 5 (week 5)	1.5	CSV logging on laptop, post-flight analysis notebook, prediction sheet (altitude, duration).
Session 6 (week 6)	1.5	Payload integration into the rocket. Mass/CG check. Dry fit. Pre-flight review.
Launch day (weekend)	4	Field launches (at least two: one nominal, one objective-driven). Recover, download data.
Session 7 (post-launch)	1.5	Data review: predicted vs. actual. Trade-study discussion (E16-4 vs. F15-4 if flown).
Session 8 (wrap-up)	1.5	Write-up, AI prompt-log review, career discussion, badge sign-off.

Interested in running this capstone with a Scout? Get in touch or go back to the Merit Badge Counselor page.