Page History

For those joining the propulsion subteam, welcome! Below are article versions of the presentations
from our initial meetings so you can reference the material at any time:

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Lecture 1: Theory and Basis of Solid Rocket Propulsion

Lecture 2: Propellant Formulation

Lecture 3: Propellant Production

Lecture 4: Internal Ballistics

Lecture 5: Hardware Design of Cases and Bolts

Lecture 6: Hardware Design of Nozzles & Closures

Lecture 7: Manufacturing Hardware

Hydrostatic Test & Static Fires

Solid Prop has finished the development of the Phoenix Flight Motors and are currently preparing for our January 2023 launch at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry. In Spring 2023, the team will begin developing and characterizing a new propellant for our next rocket, Medusa.

More information about the contributions of the solid propulsion team on Pheonix can be found here.

ISSUE I: September 7, 2017

ISSUE II: September 14, 2017

ISSUE III: December 4, 2017

A collection of vast knowledge accumulated by propulsion over the years:

• • • • Solid Rocket Motors
        • Motor Parts
          • Forward Retention Ring 
          • Head-End Ignition
          • Forward Closure
          • Motor Cases
            • Radially Bolted Case Design 
            • Carbon Fiber Case
            • Bolt Specifications 
          • Motor Liner
Nozzles
• • • • • • Nozzle
        • O-Rings
      • Combustion of Solid Propellant
      • Solid Rocket Propellant Precursors
        
        • Equivalent Weight
          • Multimodal Ammonium Perchlorate
        • Solids Loading
        • Commercial Motors
        • Commercial Grain Geometries
      • Propellants
        • Xaphan Blue
        • Ocean Water
        • Cherry Limeade
        • Kickstart
        • Angry Goat
        • Deimos
      • Mixing Procedures
        • Safety Data Sheets (SDS/MSDS)
      • Safety
      • Regulations

The development of our in-house propulsion started in the fall of 2015 with an extensive review of local, federal, and University regulations on making rocket motors. Over the summer of 2016 several students conducted research on Project Firefly. Project Firefly graciously allowed us to develop our fuel in tandem with their research. We gained access to their test facilities in exchange for access to our mixing facilities and storage depots. This first propellant formulation was called Xaphan Blue.

Starting in the fall of 2017 as part of Project Hermes, the propulsion team developed a new series of propellant formulations including Ocean Water, Cherry Limeade, and Kickstart. These propellants have each been built off of the knowledge the team gained from their precursors and have been our steps towards high performance, low cost, a pourable solid propellant for use in 4-6" diameter motors in the 10-100 kilonewton-second range.

In February 2020 the staging demonstrator proved to be successful, and Project Pheonix was born! A two-stage Rocket with in-flight ignition that will let us prepare for a space shot. Propulsion's current mission is to develop the motors for the Pheonix Medusa Booster & Sustainer, utilizing our newest propellant, Angry Goat, designed from the lessons learned in making Cherry Limeade and Kickstart.