Solid Proplusion
OVERVIEW
SRL’s Solid Propulsion Team specializes in the development and mixing of high-performance custom composite solid propellants for use in future rocket motors. Raw chemicals are mixed in-house by student members, who follow established procedures and safety standards refined over nearly a decade of experience.
Key Accomplishments
Highest thrust solid rocket motor ever produced by a student team: Sledgehammer (6800 lbf)
1200+ lbs of custom ammonium perchlorate composite propellant mixed
100+ solid rocket motor static fire tests
3 P-class and 2 Q-class solid motors mixed
Provided the flight motors for all three Mamba rockets
Propellant Mixing & Characterization
Leveraging a wealth of knowledge gained through hundreds of static fire tests, the team have developed and characterized two unique propellants, Quicksand and Sandstorm. These propellants are mixed in-house from raw chemicals, and processed using vibration and vacuum to achieve a highly consistent result. Propellant geometries are designed using in-house internal ballistics analysis tools.
Motor Hardware
Additionally, the propulsion team designs and manufactures custom rocket nozzles, forward motor enclosures and other motor components. These components are also made fully in-house at machine shops around the CU Boulder campus.
Motor Hardware:
Aluminum Forward Bulkhead
Fiberglass G10 Insulation Disk
Phenolic & Graphite Nozzle
Motor Retention Hardware
Solid Propulsion Photos & Media
Mamba III Launch (Q-class)
Q-Motor Team Photo (Q-class)
Mamba I Launch (P-class)
Sledgehammer Static Fire (P-class)
Sledgehammer Static Fire (P-class)
Sledgehammer Leadership Photo (P-class)
Frankenstein Static Fire (N-class)
Frankenstein Static Fire (N-class)
Mini Mamba (M-class)
Mini Mamba (M-class)
Characterization Motor
Obsidian Flight Motor Test
Q-Motor Static Fire (Q-class)
“Frankenstein” Static Fire (N-class)