Designed to produce 550 pounds of force, the Odyssey hybrid engine was created to provide valuable insight into the complexities of hybrid rocketry and eventually power a flight vehicle capable of landing safely back on the ground. Odyssey attempted a hot-fire at Cecil Spaceport in May of 2023, but due to an ignition issue, only a cold flow was achieved. Odyssey is again preparing for their first test fire in early fall of 2023.
Draco is a propellant feed system that will help ERPL safely test their liquid bipropellant rocket engines. It includes all of the tanks, valves, regulators, and plumbing needed to deliver two types of propellants (one ambient and one cryogenic) at the right pressure and flow rate. It can test much larger engines than ERPL currently has, has a maximum operating pressure of 1300 psi, and can be moved around on a mobile platform. The project is being sponsored by Fusion by Stoke Space, Blue Origin, and Valworx, and has received an award from the 2022 College of Engineering Philanthropy Council.
Juno is a liquid bipropellant rocket engine that is the successor to Aquila, ERPL's first liquid bipropellant engine. Juno will serve as a modular, experimental testbed to inform the design of future liquid rocket engines. With an estimated 300 pounds of thrust, Juno is powered by liquid oxygen and ethanol. It has completed manufacturing and is scheduled to be first test fired on Draco in the spring of 2024.
Spectre aims to create a system that stabilizes rockets during flight, allowing them to fly vertically without rolling. The program uses the Spectre Module, which is a flight controller that uses control surfaces to adjust the rocket's attitude. The Spectre Module includes a custom flight computer and firmware to collect flight data, run a control loop, and record flight data. The program is currently testing a roll controller using the Spectre Mk1 rocket, which has flown twice. Once the roll controller testing is complete, the Spectre Module will be upgraded to a 4-canard model to test yaw, pitch, and roll stabilization.
Atlas is a modular test stand designed for testing current and future rocket engines. It supports propellant feed lines and the data acquisition systems needed for testing liquid and hybrid rocket engines. Additionally, its mobile design allows for easy transportation to and from the testing site.
Cardea is responsible for data acquisition on all ERPL projects, in addition to operating the Draco propellant feed system. Via their data acquisition and telemetry acquisition, designed in-house, printed circuit boards (PCBs), they collect load cell data, thermocouple data, pressure transducer data, and valve state data at a frequency up to 1000 hertz.
