UMBRA Propulsion

UMBRA Propulsion is responsible for designing, manufacturing, and testing all experimental motors and engines for UMBRA rockets. Current projects under this branch of UMBRA include:

 

UP-009 (ExoBronco): A two-stage rocket with the long-term goal of reaching space. This team develops and tests solid rocket motors for use in all of ExoBronco's flight vehicles.

 

UP-011 (Modified Launch Propellants): UMBRA Propulsion's solid rocket propellant characterization team, whose objective is to create new and improve previously used solid rocket propellant formulas. This team develops new formulations to meet set requirements and performs frequent static fires to validate their designs.

 

UP-012 (Manufacturing Team): Supports other subteams by building components required for various projects, using a wide variety of manufacturing techniques. They also gain experience using our XWinder—a small-scale, affordable filament winder used to create composite casings and other composite parts.

 

UP-014 (Pixy Dust): A large rocket motor ground-testing subteam focused on the design and manufacture of large motors for future UMBRA competitions. The main objective is to consistently create reliable motors, with an emphasis on conducting static fires. Members gain hands-on experience in designing and manufacturing motor hardware, contributing directly to the team’s success.

 

UP-015 (Pipeline): UMBRA’s attempt at a "half-cat" style liquid rocket engine. The goal for this year is to develop a liquid bipropellant rocket engine that can be static fired frequently at a low cost.