Chief Engineer – Solid
Chief Engineer – Liquid
Chief Educator
The Rocket Design Team oversees three main projects: a solid propulsion sounding rocket, a liquid propulsion system, and new member education. Our chief engineers/educator oversee their respective projects, while our subgroups below assist the chiefs into the development of our rockets.
Aerodynamics and Recovery
Lead: Dakota Tilley
Tasked with development of non electronic recovery system and aerodynamic analysis of the rocket in simulated flight. Construction of parachute systems, and ejection testing
Electronics – Flight Avionics
Sub-Lead: Declan Kelley
This subgroup manages the payload and flight computer that is placed inside the rocket. They design and develop experimental payloads that can eventually find a purpose in our future rocket designs while the flight computer is responsible for flight telemetry and deployment of recovery devices.
Electronics – Test Fire Electronics
Lead: Rakshak Sudhakaran
This subgroup handles controls, data collection, and hardware of the electrical systems used for our test fires. This subgroup sets up and customizes the systems we need to operate our test stands and characterize our propulsive devices for the liquid and solid rocket projects.
Solid Propulsion
Lead: Jacob King
This subgroup deals with all aspects regarding the solid rocket motor. This entails designing and manufacturing motor components, mixing propellant, conducting static test fires. This group has developed many student designed motors and plan to create many more.
Solid Propulsion – Mixings
Lead: Paige Lambright
This subgroup deals with the formulation, mixing, and casting of the solid motors. This entails creating safe an efficient formulations, developing procedures for successful mixing, and making the physical motor.
Liquid Propulsion
Lead: Henry Mills
The liquid propulsion subgroup develops the propulsive system of the liquid rocket. They research and design injectors, manifolds, combustion chambers, nozzles, and cooling systems.
Liquid Propulsion – Engine
Sub-Lead: Nicholas Graham
The subgroup develops the propellant feed systems for the engine. They research and develop valves, manifolds, and systems that can be safely filled and vented in case of an emergency.
Structures
Lead: Jacob Fulhorst
This subgroup is in charge of the composite airframe of the rocket. They utilize composite materials to create every part in house and assemble the frame.
Manufacturing
Lead: Isaac Washburn
Heads the manufacturing and machining for any parts our team uses as a part of airframes, tooling, or test stands.
Safety Officer – Solid
Safety Officer – Liquid
Our team cannot fully operate without the oversight of our safety officers. Without them we would not have the procedures and standards required to conduct the rocket science we strive to develop in order to provide students with the most in depth hands on experience during their collegiate career.
Team Educators
We also train all new members about the fundamentals of rocket design, and these lessons are achievable in thanks to our two student instructors and the Chief Educator. They oversee the Level One program on the team and organize our new members to compete in the Argonia Cup.
