Launch Vehicle

MGC-A1 is a three-stage, solid-propellant launch vehicle concept built to put a ~650 lb payload into Low Earth Orbit (~150 nmi class). The vehicle is sized around a compact payload stack and fairing, then optimized stage-by-stage to close mass, thrust, and trajectory requirements while keeping the architecture simple and manufacturable. The baseline configuration uses a stacked solid-motor approach with dedicated interstages, bulkheads, and a streamlined nosecone/fairing system to protect the payload through ascent and support clean separations. The project combined CAD-based packaging with performance modeling to validate the full mission profile. A trajectory model generated altitude and flight-path trends through burnout, and the staging/propellant masses were iterated to meet orbital energy targets with minimal margin waste. A preliminary cost model rolled up structure, motors, and integration to estimate a total vehicle cost of ~$14.2M, corresponding to about ~$21.8k per pound of payload, providing an early look at economic competitiveness for small-payload LEO missions.