N-Class Hybrid Rockets
Propulsion lead for UCLA Rocket Project's Prometheus team — designed and test-fired five N-class SRAD hybrid engines, contributing to a 15,000 ft apogee (1.5× the prior collegiate record).
As Propulsion Engine Lead for UCLA Rocket Project | Prometheus, I led end-to-end development of five N-class SRAD (Student Researched and Developed) hybrid rocket engines producing approximately 600 lbf of thrust. The program's rocket achieved a 15,000 ft apogee — 1.5× the prior collegiate record.
Injector and nozzle design used NASA CEA for thermochemical analysis and ANSYS CFD for flow field validation. Structural and thermal margins were checked in SolidWorks Simulation. I led the first in-house casting of HTPB fuel grains and thermite igniters in the club's history.
Testing progressed through hydrostatic, coldflow, and static-fire qualification. To cut engine lead time by 50%, I parallelized manufacturing workflows, wrote production manuals, and trained members on lathe and mill. All flight hardware — including CNC-machined injectors — was produced in-house on a MiniHaas.
