Aurora Rocketry

MEET THE TEAM

PROPULSION

OVERVIEW

The Propulsion Department is responsible for the design, manufacturing, and testing of solid and hybrid SRAD rocket motors, with the goal of participating in the EUROC competitions using in-house developed propulsion systems. The team is composed of members from the Bachelor’s programs in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, as well as the Master’s programs in Aerospace Engineering and Chemical Engineering.
The department’s activities cover the entire engine development cycle: from theoretical and numerical modeling (simulations, CFD, ballistic models), to parametric CAD design, all the way to practical manufacturing of components, development of test infrastructures, and experimental testing on a test bench.

SOLID ROCKET ENGINE

In the field of solid rocket motors, the department is engaged in the development of the motor that will be launched on a reduced-scale prototype - FRED - and in its future evolutions. The project includes the design of the nozzle, combustion chamber, and solid grain, manufactured using potassium nitrate -and sorbitol-based mixtures, with additives to enhance performance.
In parallel, a dedicated test chamber is being developed for grain characterization, enabling pressure data acquisition and validation of predictive models, thus laying the groundwork for larger and higher-performance motors

REDAS & TEST BENCH

A key role is played by the REDAS project, an in-house designed hardware and software system used during motor testing phases to acquire data from the load cell and pressure sensor, as well as to activate the ignition system, which is also designed by the department.

n support of these activities, the department is also developing a static test bench for solid rocket motors.

HYBRID ROCKET ENGINE

The department’s main long-term project is the development of a hybrid rocket motor, initially conceived as a prototype for ground testing. The motor uses a liquid oxidizer (N₂O) and a solid fuel (paraffin or HTPB), with a pressurizing gas (N₂), and includes tanks, injector, combustion chamber, grain, nozzle, thermal protection systems, and control and safety valves.Each component is tested individually before integration, and the engine is designed to be reusable, allowing successive design iterations (more complex injectors, optimized nozzles, new grains, changes in pressurizing gas). In parallel, the department is responsible for designing the ground facilities required for motor operation, including the external feed line for safe fluid transfer. Sensor data acquisition will later be integrated into REDAS

The goal is to perform a first static firing of the prototype by October 2026, progressively building the expertise needed to develop a hybrid motor suitable for flight.

LAUNCH RAIL

In collaboration with the Structures Department, the Propulsion team proposes the development of a modular launch rail capable of also functioning as a test bench (rail-bench) for both solid and hybrid motors. This innovative solution aims to reduce costs and development time, while enabling the integration of measurement systems such as load cells, thermocouples, pressure sensors, and imaging systems.