Photo: NASA
The CSI Rocketry mission designs, builds, and tests high-powered hybrid rockets. We have had two successful launches in a row now. One launch of a 30k 805 lbf. rocket at Spaceport America Cup and one launch of a 25k 1200 lbf. rocket at FAR-OUT in June 2024. Every year we aim to refine control over our rocket, achieve higher altitude launches, and develop an innovative scientific payload for the short durations of micro and hypergravity in the flight. From designing a rocket engine from scratch to developing reliable long range wifi communications, the team is always in need of dedicated students from any background — computer science to mechanical engineering to business and biology — with a passion for experimental sounding rocketry and companies who can support our efforts.
This year, we will continue to refine and improve our design for a 2000 lbf Class O nitrous-oxide/paraffin wax hybrid rocket engine and launch to 40K.
We also aim to regenerative cool the combustion chamber using a nitrous oxide preflow arrangement.
Using nitrogen pressure regulation and a two stage valve we aim to throttle our thrust and complete a milestone of the lander challenge.
Mechanical design and manufacturing
Avionics and electronics
Chemical engineering of thrust design
Computer modeling of rocket performance
Chemical/biological payload research and experimentation
This past week, our Rockets mission successfully launched their nitrous-parrafin hybrid rocket named PleaseGoHigher at the inaugural FAR-OUT competition in the Californian Mojave desert.
PleaseGoHigher went FARther OUT, further Up, and Higher than ever, surpassing last year’s PleaseGoUp rocket and winning second place in its launch category and first place in podium presentations. It produced over a half-ton of thrust, accelerated at 16G’s and successfully deployed parachutes to safely land and be recovered. This rocket was entirely student-designed, manufactured, and tested in-house this year, and is CSI and Columbia’s second-ever rocket launch and first-ever successful recovery.
Huge congratulations to the entire team!
– Tycho Bogdanowitsch, Former Co-President & Rockets Co-Lead
