EOS has announced it is working with University of Texas (UT) students within its Texas Rocket Engineering Lab (TREL) to design a rocket for an international competition.
TREL is a collegiate rocket lab that works to give students the resources and guidance needed in the new space sector, and has entered into the Base11 Space Challenge where the team will develop a 28-foot-tall liquid bipropellant rocket designed to fly to the edge of space. The challenge will see student-led teams launch their single stage rockets to the Karman Line at an altitude of 100 kilometres, which would break the previous collegiate altitude record for a liquid bipropellant rocket by around 30x.
EOS, who has experience in the space industry through partnerships with the likes of Launcher, is supporting this endeavour by providing design and production support as the team develop the ‘Havoc’ engine for their ‘Halcyon’ rocket. Havoc is a regeneratively cooled, Lox-RP-1 fueled engine with regenerative cooling geometry configured for advanced additive manufacturing. EOS’ involvement is said to have enabled the team to undertake this ambitious design, with the 3D printing company’s expertise harnessed to produce aerodynamic fins to control Halcyon during flight, for example. The alliance with EOS is underpinning TREL’s already-existing competence in developing CAD, material and 3D printing capabilities and, the students believe, helping to advance their learning at TREL.
EOS Uni of Texas students
EOS Havoc Engine Hot Fire Rendering.
“Working on the EOS Havoc engine has been a highlight of my college experience,” commented Lauren Rodriguez, a third-year student at UT and Lead Propulsion Engineer for TREL. “With EOS, I have been able to learn so much about advanced additive manufacturing capabilities and rocket engine fabrication, which are subjects you can’t learn in a classroom. By designing, building and testing our own 3D prints we are able to push forward the leading edge of rocket engine development.”
“The space industry already relies heavily on 3D printing and today’s university students are the pipeline to advancing the industry bringing with them both the knowledge necessary to thrive and the AM mindset to successfully engineer and create ideas never before possible,” added Patrick Boyd, Marketing Director at EOS. “We decided long ago to play our part in supporting TREL and similar university teams across North America, helping ensure their success and providing them direct access to our AM expertise and technology – the most direct way we can augment their studies and projects.”
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