Gryphon I-C rocket

During the second stage of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for the Gryphon I rocket, our team identified significant uncertainties associated with the recovery system, which was designed to ensure the rocket’s safe return to the ground after reaching apogee. These uncertainties were primarily linked to variations in flight performance and weather conditions, making it difficult to define practical mitigation measures for every potential failure mode.

The team ultimately concluded that reliability testing would be the most effective way to reduce these risks. This led to the development of the scaled-down Gryphon I-C rocket, designed to test and validate the recovery and avionics systems of the full-scale Gryphon I under real-world conditions. Although international shipping delays reduced the planned three launches to one, the successful Gryphon I-C flight provided critical confirmation of the recovery system’s reliability and safety, paving the way for the full-scale Gryphon I launch.