Rockets

Photo: NASA

Building high-powered hybrid rockets for experimental payloads.

CSI’s Rocketry mission is escaping the Earth's surface without aid from NASA or helium. Just good, old-fashioned rocket fuel!


Introduction

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.


Mission Goals

  • This year, we will continue to refine and improve our design for a 1200 lbf Class O nitrous-oxide/paraffin wax hybrid rocket engine.

  • We also aim to regenerative cool the combustion chamber using a nitrous oxide preflow arrangement.


Related Skills

  • Mechanical design and manufacturing

  • Avionics and electronics

  • Chemical engineering of thrust design

  • Computer modeling of rocket performance


Mission Directors

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Valentina Marini Fichera

SEAS 2025

Mechanical Engineering

[email protected]

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Michael Sheehan

SEAS 2025

Mechanical Engineering

[email protected]

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Skylar Bogdanowitsch

SEAS 2026

Mechanical Engineering

[email protected]