What’s a liquid bipropellant rocket?

A liquid bipropellant rocket (or bi-prop) consists of a propulsion system with a liquid fuel and a liquid oxidizer. The propellants are pumped or pressure-fed and injected into a combustion chamber, where the fuel and oxidizer are mixed and ignited. The current SARP propulsion system in development (Pacific Impulse) utilizes an ethanol/water mixture for fuel and a nitrous oxide as an oxidizer.

What’s a hybrid rocket?

A hybrid rocket uses a propulsion system that is comprised of two different states of matter. The most common configuration is a solid fuel lining the combustion chamber into which a liquid or gaseous oxidizer is injected and ignited. For our last hybrid rocket (Moon Dawg 2019), we used solid paraffin wax and liquid nitrous oxide.

Can I join midyear?

New member applications are open approximately August-early October and may be re-opened during spring quarter depending on need/availability. We accept applicants for our business team year-round. The fall application cycle for the 2022-23 development year is now closed. We encourage anyone who’s interested to submit an application during the next cycle, and look forward to reading your application!

What if I’m not familiar with the skills listed for a team or I’m not an engineer, but I’m interested in being on SARP?

Apply! We have roles for students across the campus. Additionally, we bring on members with varying levels of experience, and we always will have seasoned members to help newer members along the way. No experience is required to join the team.

Can students not majoring in Aero & Astro join SARP?

YES! Students in any major are encouraged to apply. In 2022-23, SARP is composed of students majoring in AA (33%), Undeclared Engineering (25%), ME (16%),  Other Engineering (9%), EE (4%), CS (3%), Physics (2%), Math (1%), Business, Economics, Finance, and more (7%).

What if I am interested in several projects?

There will be opportunities to help out different groups in the development process, but your main responsibilities will be with the project and subteam that you are selected for.

Can I join if I am a student at UW Tacoma or UW Bothell?

Yes, all UW students are encouraged to apply! Please note that most work will be happening in person on the Seattle campus for the 2022-23 academic year. 

How much time do members spend working on SARP?

For general members, it can range from 5-10 hours per week. 

Will there be in-person work this year (2022-23)?

SARP is intending to have mostly in-person operations, and we will continue to make our members’ safety our first priority. As of January 2022, in-person work is possible and continuing. However, all meetings have an option for remote attendance.

What is IREC?

IREC stands for the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition which takes place in New Mexico at Spaceport America, during which more than 600 university students participate in the competition, representing over 50 schools from 6 different continents. It is hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA). More about IREC here.

What is DPF?

The DPF (Dollar Per Foot) Challenge is a competition exclusively for liquid engine rockets hosted by the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) near Randsburg, California. The competition is on a year-round, open schedule basis, and successful teams earn one dollar for every foot of altitude their rocket achieves past the end of the launch rail. Our current rocket, Pacific Impulse, is slated to participate in DPF in Fall 2022. More about DPF: DPF Challenge – Friends of Amateur Rocketry, Inc.

Can I watch the rocket launch?

Unfortunately, there is no room for spectators at the launch site. We will try to live stream the launch to our youtube channel, but this may not be possible.