Alisher Khojayev, a student at Los Angeles Valley College, has published a proof-of-concept prototype for a low-cost launcher and guided rocket system built with consumer electronics and 3D printed components. In a video presentation on his YouTube channel and two GitHub repositories, Khojayev says the launcher and rocket assembly cost approximately $96 in hardware. He describes the project as an experimental system centered on a folding-fin, canard-stabilized rocket, onboard telemetry, and a separate camera-node tracking concept.
Alisher says the launcher creates a Wi-Fi network that connects to his computer, allowing him to monitor telemetry, including system state, roll angle, roll rate, and servo response. A primary switch powers the launcher, while a second switch arms the rocket by activating its internal battery. At that point, the onboard inertial measurement unit measures the rocket’s roll orientation relative to the ground and compares it with calibrated orientation data, allowing the fin control logic to adjust in software. Communication between launcher and rocket is handled through an umbilical cord connection before launch.
Rocket control is managed by an onboard ESP32 microcontroller paired with an MPU6050 inertial measurement unit, which provides orientation and angular velocity data during flight. Launcher electronics are built around another ESP32 and include a QMC5883L compass for heading, a Neo-6M GPS module for positioning, and a BMP180 barometric sensor for altitude estimation. The control surfaces are stabilized through a proportional-derivative control loop. In the video, he also says the design process began in OpenRocket, an open-source rocket simulation tool used to evaluate aerodynamic characteristics, including center of pressure, center of gravity, and overall flight stability, before the mechanical assembly was modeled in Fusion 360, Autodesk’s computer-aided design software.
Most structural components were produced in PLA using consumer-grade 3D printing. Assembly relied on heated threaded inserts, machine screws, and custom torsion springs formed from piano wire. Multiple design iterations were tested during development, especially around the folding-fin mechanism, until the system operated consistently. GitHub documentation describes the project as the result of iterative mechanical design, electronics integration, and testing. Khojayev also says several static burn tests were carried out before the motor was integrated with the rocket airframe.
A related repository outlines a distributed camera-node system in which multiple low-cost units provide spatial triangulation and wider coverage than a single sensor. This system is designed to generate real-time XYZ coordinates for a target and transmit them to the launcher, where they are compared with onboard GPS and compass data.
YouTube-driven consumer 3D printing demonstrates sustained thermal and production control
Consumer desktop systems have recently been used for extended full-scale fabrication under continuous operating conditions. Automotive YouTuber Mike Lake segmented the exterior of a Porsche 992 GT3 RS into printable sections and produced non-structural body panels using multiple Neptune 4 Pro fused filament fabrication printers from Elegoo, each priced at approximately AUD $549. Completion of the front clip required approximately 681 hours of print time and 19 kilograms of PETG filament, excluding roughly 100 additional hours and 5 kilograms lost to failed prints. A single front fender required 21 printed sections and 55 machine hours. Early failures included adhesion loss and warping caused by low ambient workshop temperatures. Mitigation required enclosure of the printers, manual bed leveling, and thermal parameter adjustment. Large assemblies were reinforced with fiberglass backing to achieve structural rigidity after segmentation and bonding. The project demonstrated that consumer machines can operate for hundreds of cumulative hours while maintaining dimensional control when thermal conditions are actively managed.
High-speed drone development has similarly relied on consumer 3D printing for rapid structural iteration under performance constraints. Luke Maximobell and his father reclaimed the Guinness World Record for the fastest drone with the Peregreen V4, achieving a verified two-run average of 657 kilometers per hour. The airframe was produced on Bambu Lab’s H2D dual-extruder printer using PETG, PA6-CF, and TPU for material-specific optimization. Aerodynamic refinement required computational fluid dynamics modeling and repeated physical testing. Hardware changes included upgraded T-Motor 3120 brushless motors with 900 KV windings and reduced propeller diameter to improve high-RPM efficiency. Four record-attempt runs were completed in a single testing session, with individual passes reaching 656 and 659 kilometers per hour. The project illustrates that desktop additive systems now support iterative engineering cycles involving thermal stress, aerodynamic loading, and multimaterial fabrication without reliance on industrial platforms.
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Featured image shows Internal structural layout of the 3D printed guided rocket prototype. Image via Alisher Khojayev.
