This paper presents the E-Rocket, an electric-powered, low-cost rocket prototype for validation of Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) algorithms based on Thrust Vector Control (TVC). Relying on commercially available components and 3D printed parts, a pair of contra-rotating DC brushless motors is assembled on a servo-actuated gimbal mechanism that provides thrust vectoring capability. A custom avionics hardware and software stack is developed considering a dual computer setup which leverages the capabilities of the PX4 autopilot and the modularity of ROS 2 to accommodate for tailored GNC algorithms. The platform is validated in an indoor motion-capture arena using a baseline PID-based trajectory tracking controller. Results demonstrate accurate trajectory tracking and confirm the suitability of the E-Rocket as a versatile testbed for rocket GNC algorithms.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.06535,
title = {The E-Rocket: Low-cost Testbed for TVC Rocket GNC Validation},
author = {Pedro Santos and André Fonte and Pedro Martins and Paulo Oliveira},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.06535},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
This work has been accepted for presentation at IFAC 2026