Subteam Leads
Year | Lead |
|---|---|
| 2015 Fall - 2017 Spring | Zach B. |
| Fall 2017 - Summer 2018 | Sam A. |
| Fall 2018 - Present | Ethan S. |
Overview
"Propulsion" refers to the subteam that provides the systems necessary to accelerate the vehicle. It encompasses both solid and liquid rocket propellant design and operation.
MIT Rocket Team operates both commercial and custom propulsion systems. 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.
In the fall of 2017 as part of Project Hermes the propulsion team began a series of improvements to the custom solid formulation, now dubbed "Ocean Water." This propellant is higher performing, cheaper, and easier to produce.
Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS)
COTS motors are proven systems, purchased from reputable vendors. They can be flown at all launches with a suitable waiver. Find out more about them here.
Custom Propulsion Systems
The team also to pursues custom propulsion systems. These are either Liquid or Solid propellant based.
Combustion Chronicles
Propellant Formulas
| Name | Description | Used | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xaphan Blue | The team's first propellant. | Spring 2017 | Static Fired |
| Ocean Water | Developed during the Fall 2017 semester to replace XB. Focused on performance rather than appearance. | Fall 2017 - Summer 2018 | Characterized, Static Fired, Flown |
| Cherry Limeade | Designed by applying the knowledge we gained from OW. Hopefully it will be an even higher performing propellant. | Fall 2018 - Present | Characterized, Static Fired. |