Explore Our Teams
Learn more about the 7 subteams that keep SRL running.
The Avionics’ team mission is to push SRL's boundaries by creating novel electronics and avionics solutions. We take ambitious projects head on, growing our capabilities as engineers in the process. We work deeply with all aspects of aerospace electronics, including complex RF systems, FPGA development, custom PCB design, state estimation, control systems, and more.
The vast majority of structures aboard SRL’s solid rockets are made of custom composite materials. This includes:
Carbon fiber rocket motor casings to withstand immense pressure during motor firing. These casings automatically produced by our in-house filament winder
Kevlar-composite motor insulation and propellant casting tubes which protect the motor casing from the extreme temperatures of burning propellant
Glass-composite airframe components to house recovery hardware and onboard flight computers
The L1 Certification team is responsible for introducing members to the world of high power rocketry. Through lectures and workshops, team members are able to get their Tripoli Rocketry Association HPR Level 1 certification.
For all SRL sponsored Level 1 High Power certifications, members will be provided a LOC Onyx kit as well as any materials needed for assembly, except for motors.
Certifications are done through Tripoli Rocket Association at SCORE near Pueblo, CO. Since 2024, the team has seen over 45 successful launches and certifications. Let’s get some rockets in the air!
The Liquids team focuses on the design and testing of the club’s liquid engines and future flight vehicles.
They are responsible for the design, assembly, and validation of the Diablo test stand, which will facilitate ground testing of our next generation of liquid engines. The team brings together the tanks, valves, and instrumentation required to deliver fuel and oxygen to our engines. They also develop the custom DAQ system and control software necessary to conduct and analyze tests.
Liquids also designs and manufactures injectors, nozzles, and combustion chambers for all liquid engine projects. Since 2025, they have completed multiple static fires and moving forward into designing more advanced, performant engines.
Liquids’ long term goal is to create a flight vehicle for entry into FAR’s dollar per foot challenge, and to enable and maintain a rapid testing cadence for liquid engines for years to come.
The Operations team is responsible for all background business and media operations for SRL. They manage the external image of the club as well as connect with university officials and industry leaders. Additionally, they organize all of SRL’s activity on and off campus, including recruitment, industry tours and launch trips. Operations also manages all of SRL’s grant and sponsorship applications, as well as club budget. They are devoted to getting SRL the membership and resources necessary to continue building the team.
The Solids propulsion sub-team specializes in the development and mixing of high-performance custom composite solid propellants and their motors. Leveraging a wealth of knowledge gained through hundreds of static fire tests, they 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.
Currently, Solids is working towards development of their next flight vehicle, Sunbeam.
The Vehicle Design sub-team focuses on the challenges associated with achieving stable, predictable, and reliable flight and recovery. Leveraging advanced in-house six-degree-of-freedom monte-carlo simulation codes and other commercially available software, the Vehicle Design team models the dynamics of the full flight profile. This modelling informs the full aerodynamic surface profile of the rocket, including it’s nosecone and fins, as well as thermal protection system choices. Additionally, the vehicle design team works to manufacture and test the avionics bay and recovery systems, ensuring they perform nominally even at the near-vacuum conditions encountered by SRL rockets.
SRL Leadership is split into two sections. The Executive Team consists of the two Team Captains, the Lead Engineer, the Operations Officer, and the Safety Officer. The Executive Team oversees the entirety of club operations; ensuring that each subteam is running smoothly and working together seamlessly.
SRL’s Leadership team also consists of Subteam Leads, who oversee one of the 7 subteams within the organization. Subteam Leads manage the detailed work within each subteam. This includes scheduling projects, designating Responsible Engineers, assisting in design and production, and coordinating with the rest of the Leadership team.