The first step in the SDSU rocket project is for the students to familiarize themselves with all of the technology associated with launching liquid fueled rockets safely. To that end we are building a state of the art amateur pressure fed liquid fueled rocket. Once this rocket is complete and it has flown successfully, we will build a pump fed rocket designed to reach an altitude of over 100 miles.

SDSU engineering students are designing a rocket to demonstrate a new type of rocket fuel pump. This pump has the potential to reduce the cost of rocket boosters substantially while increasing reliability.  We will be working with Flometrics, the company that invented the pump, to build a rocket that will be the first to fly with the new pump. The design is based on a tested pressure fed design developed by SDSU alumni at Flometrics. This design is intended to be a platform to test new ideas in the areas of new fuels, new types of pumps, composite tanks, and other new and long forgotten areas of rocket development. This project is designed to hone engineering skills because rockets are devices which force engineers to design things on paper and check and recheck their work. When a rocket fails, unlike a washing machine or a car, you generally have to start over from scratch. Therefore the cut and try method will not work. One small mistake and the rocket is in tiny twisted pieces all over the landscape. This project is not just for aerospace engineers, mechanical engineers are needed to design valves, pumps and structures, electronic engineers can help with guidance, telemetry, and range safety and civil engineers can help with ground support equipment and environmental impact mitigation.

Written by Steve Harrington