Blog #12 | Runaway Hybrid Engine V2

Now that the deadline for the Spaceport America Cup is fast approaching, rocket components have been arriving nearly daily now, with many projects now entering the testing phase. We have also almost finished assembling v2 of our hybrid engine Runaway in preparation for a hotfire attempt late next week!

Some particularly exciting parts have just arrived including our new nozzle and combustion chamber courtesy of Seneca Machine, our 3D printed nose cone mold from the UNH Makerspace, and the internal frame squares and angle braces thanks to Scott from the Technical Service Center! We will be working hard tonight during our Hackathon session to prepare all of these components for a full mock assembly of the rocket.

Current major projects we are working towards are testing the recovery system, the next hotfire test, assembling the entire internal frame structure, our payload design, and a hydrostatic test of our combustion chamber. Lots to do for our growing member base!

In some non-engineering news, we will be having our elections for next year’s board members at the beginning of March followed by a transition period to the new leadership in April. Good luck to all those running! We have also begun planning our first annual banquet for our sponsors and supporters, so stay tuned for more details on that mid-March.