Year | Lead |
|---|
| Fall 2014 - Summer 2015 | Matt V. | | Fall 2015 - Summer 2017 | Zach B. | | Fall 2017 - Summer 2018 | Sam A. | | Fall 2018 - Summer 2019 | Ethan S. | Fall 2019 | Vittorio C. | | Fall 2019 | Charlie G. | | Spring 2020 - Summer 2020 | Julia G. | | Fall 2020 - Spring 2021 | David v.W. | | Summer 2021 - Spring 2022 | Justin S. | | Summer 2022 - Fall 2022 | Jorian B. | Spring 2023 | Elizabeth Z. | | Summer 2023 - Spring 2024Fall 2023 | Alex Meier | | Summer 2023 - Present | Abraheim A. | | Spring 2024 | Derek C. |
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 Medusa Booster & Sustainer, utilizing our newest propellant, Angry Goat, designed from the lessons learned in making Cherry Limeade and Kickstart. |