Vehicles
Summit V1
Summit V1 is currently the only vehicle developed. It is simply a structure to hold the flight computer and TVC mount, to allow testing of control systems. For this reason, Summit needed to be strong and recoverable. This lead to the body being made from carbon fibre, and the upper half of the vehicle being dedicated to a parachute bay.
Summit V1 is made of carbon fibre for two reasons. It is stronger (can be crashed) and to learn about carbon fibre manufacturing. Carbon fibre is extremely overkill for this application, in fact the cardboard body equivalent is over half the weight of carbon fibre!
The benefits of carbon fibre have been shown through both launch attempts. In the first attempt, the rocket would have been entirely engulfed in flames if it were cardboard. In the second attempt, the impact of the crash would have likely rendered a cardboard body unusable.
Summit holds a parachute in the upper section of the rocket. This parachute is undersized, though will slow the rockets decent enough to sufficiently avoid any damage due to impact. This parachute is deployed with a black power charge, which pushes a piston out through the nose cone.
Summit V1 is certainly due for some upgrades. Due to being pulled apart so many times, the plastic bulkheads that hold the rocket together have had their threads stripped. Ideal future upgrades would include threaded inserts and a lighter parachute system, as the parachute mounting points weigh far too much. Ideally the flight computer would also be made easier to access. There is a high chance I will make an entirely new rocket, Summit V2.