Subteam Leads

Overview

"Propulsion" refers to the subteam that provides the systems necessary to accelerate the vehicle.

MIT Rocket Team operates both commercial and custom propulsion systems.

Commercial Off The Shelf (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. The team also to pursues custom propulsion systems. For these motors, we build all components in-house including motor hardware and propellant. These motors can only be flown at Tripoli affiliated clubs or independent launch events. 

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 this vehicle, utilizing a new propellant designed from the lessons learned in making Cherry Limeade and Kickstart.

Getting Started

For those joining the propulsion subteam, welcome! Below are article versions of the presentations from our initial meetings so you can reference the material at any time:

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Lecture 1: Theory and Basis of Solid Rocket Propulsion

Lecture 2: Propellant Formulation

Lecture 3: Propellant Production

Lecture 4: Internal Ballistics

Lecture 5: Hardware Design of Cases and Bolts

Lecture 6: Hardware Design of Nozzles, Igniters & Closures

Lecture 7: Manufacturing Hardware

Lecture 8: Static Fires

The Prop Bible (Prible)

A collection of vast knowledge accumulated by propulsion over the years:

• Solid Rocket Motors
  • Motor Parts
    • Head-End Ignition
    • Motor Cases
      • Bolt Specifications
    • Motor Liner
    • Nozzles
    • O-Rings
  • Combustion of Solid Propellant
  • Solid Rocket Propellant Precursors
    
    • Equivalent Weight
    • Multimodal Ammonium Perchlorate
  • Solids Loading
  • Commercial Motors
  • Commercial Grain Geometries
• Propellants
  • Xaphan Blue
  • Ocean Water
  • Cherry Limeade
  • Kickstart
• Mixing Procedures
  • Safety Data Sheets (SDS/MSDS)

Current Project

Propulsion is currently developing the motors for Pheonix 1, along with a new and currently unnamed propellent.

More information about the contributions of the solid propulsion team on Pheonix can be found here.

Combustion Chronicles

September 7, 2017

September 14, 2017

December 4, 2017

Propellant Formulas