HISTORY
Over the course of nine years, the Sounding Rocketry Team (SRT) has designed, built, and tested twelve different flight-ready vehicles. Our airframes have been designed for various different competitions, each with a different goal. Additionally, each rocket is tested using standardized launch procedures developed by SRT members. The team engages in rigorous design and testing processes to ensure these vehicles are durable, efficient, and safe to operate as well as meet the performance specifications outlined by overall team goals.
Scroll down to learn more about our vehicles!
Scroll down to learn more about our vehicles!
Nimitz
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Design Team: SRT-13 (2025-2026)
Build Team: SRT-13 (2025-2026) Modified: N/A Diameter: 3 in - 2 in |
Number of Flights: TBD
Maximum Altitude Achieved: TBD Propulsion: Loki M3464 -> AeroTech K2050 |
Nimitz Launch Vehicle
Nimitz is the 4th and final spaceshot development testing platform before SRT attempts a launch to the Kármán line. Designed as a high-performance, two-stage launch vehicle, the vehicle targets an altitude of 43,500 ft AGL, with both the nose cone and a transition section being designed to minimize aerodynamic drag. Nimitz aims to maximize the dynamic pressure it will see throughout flight.
Hadron
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Design Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025)
Build Team: SRT-13 (2025-2026) Modified: N/A |
Number of Flights: TBD
Maximum Altitude Achieved: TBD Propulsion: Gluon |
Hadron Launch Vehicle
Hadron is the first lander vehicle built by SRT. Designed specifically for the Collegiate Propulsive Lander Challenge (CPLC), Hadron is a unique departure from typical SRT vehicles. Its primary mission is not high-altitude flight, but rather to hover at low altitudes and execute controlled "hops" of up to 50 meters. To achieve this, Hadron is equipped with multiple thrusters and a throttleable hybrid engine for precise attitude control throughout its flight.
MorpheusDesign Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025)
Build Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025) Modified: N/A Diameter: 5 in. |
Number of Flights: 3
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 13,735 ft. AGL Propulsion: O3400 and M3464 |
Morpheus Launch Vehicle
Morpheus is SRT’s 2nd COTS Solid vehicle built for IREC. At the 2025 Midland Spaceport competition, Morpheus secured 10th place among 61 teams. The vehicle features a carbon fiber aft tube and a fiberglass forward tube, maximizing its strength-to-weight ratio. As its payload, Morpheus was designed to carry a live video and telemetry system equipped with two live-feed cameras, two onboard recording cameras, and an array of sensors to measure flight time, altitude, acceleration, temperature, humidity, magnetic field, and GPS position.
Intrepid
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Design Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025)
Build Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025) Modified: N/A Diameter: 2 in. |
Number of Flights: 1
Maximum Altitude Achieved: Undetermined Propulsion: AeroTech K2050 to Loki L1040 |
Intrepid Launch Vehicle
Intrepid was the first two-stage sub-minimum diameter vehicle built by SRT. Intrepid served as a critical testing platform for an interstage coupler. This design was a key step in furthering the team's goal of reaching the Kármán line (100 km). Notably, Intrepid was equipped with a Von Kármán nose cone designed to carry golf balls as its payload for the Argonia Cup in Kansas.
Enterprise
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Design Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025)
Build Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025) Modified: N/A Diameter: 4 in. |
Number of Flights: 3
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 13,072 ft AGL Propulsion: AeroTech J1799 -> CTI I165; CTI L1350 -> AeroTech K700, AeroTech L1390 -> AeroTech K700 |
Enterprise Launch Vehicle
As SRT's first developmental, two-stage launch vehicle, Enterprise achieved two primary objectives. First, it successfully demonstrated the team's capability to execute a staged launch - a crucial component in our progress towards reaching the Kármán line. Secondly, it was a crucial part of our spaceshot starters testing campaign, designed to validate our custom MTV starters by testing them with expected spaceshot propellants.
Hornet |
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Design Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025)
Build Team: SRT-12 (2024-2025) Modified: N/A Diameter: 2 in. |
Number of Flights: 2
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 4,024 ft AGL Propulsion: Aerotech I170 |
Hornet was the first sub-minimum vehicle built by SRT. This vehicle served as a preliminary platform to test the deployment systems for the team's final spaceshot rocket. It featured a Von Kármán nose cone, optimized for near-transonic flight, and with a total length of just 27.7 inches, it was one of SRT's most compact vehicles. Its compact design allowed the team to variably adjust and test deployment systems in a confined space.
Telemachus
Telemachus Launch Vehicle
Telemachus is the sixth vehicle built by SRT. Telemachus proudly won the 2024 Spaceport America Cup’s Live Telemetry Challenge and took home 10th Overall, 5th in the USA, and 1st in Texas. With an airframe composed of half fiberglass and half carbon fiber, Telemachus is designed for RF Transparency with its SAR imaging payload. In addition to its technical goals, Telemachus is built for high structural quality with a reinforced aft section designed to reduce zippering. The first iteration of this vehicle experienced a motor CATO in May 2024. The launch vehicle was reconstructed for competition over the summer of 2024 and experienced a nominal launch in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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Design Team: SRT-11 (2023-2024)
Build Team: SRT-11 (2023-2024) Modified: N/A Diameter: 6 in. |
Number of Flights: 2
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 10,458 ft. AGL Propulsion: Loki Research M3464-LB |
Lazarus
Lazarus Launch Vehicle
Lazarus is the fifth vehicle built by SRT. It is the first rocket SRT designed that is optimized for 30,000 ft flight. Its main body structure is made of high strength carbon fiber coupled by aluminum bulkheads. Radio permitting sections such as the electronics bay are constructed with fiberglass. The fins are also designed to have an advanced honeycomb core structure embedded into the airframe. During a nominal 30k flight, the expected peak Mach number for this vehicle, paired with the Vulcan engine, is Mach 1.4.
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Design Team: SRT-7 (2019-2020)
Build Team: SRT-7 (2019-2020), SRT-8 (2020-2021), SRT-9 (2021-2022) Modified: SRT-9 (2021-2022) |
Number of Flights: 1
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 7947 ft. AGL Propulsion: NP-850 Vulcan |
Theseus
Theseus Launch Vehicle
Theseus was the fourth vehicle built by SRT. This vehicle was designed to be used as an updated platform for the team. The rocket features several new robust additions and modifications over the Daedalus rocket. This system was designed and built by SRT-5. The rocket is powered by the custom-built hybrid engine, Nova.
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Design Team: SRT-5 (2017-2018)
Build Team: SRT-5 (2017-2018) Modified: SRT-6 (2018-2019) |
Number of Flights: 1
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 523 ft. AGL Propulsion: NP-915 Nova [Hybrid] |
Daedalus
Daedalus Launch Vehicle
Daedalus was the third vehicle built by SRT. Following the past two years’ lead, the vehicle was designed and built in two 15-week semesters. With an estimated 15,000 man-hours (at an average of 20 hours per week per member) and total funding of around $10,000, this vehicle was designed to be used as a platform for the team for the next several years. The rocket features an all composite air-frame with aluminum bulkheads. From its inception, Daedalus was built to be powered by both high-thrust solid motors and SRT’s custom-built hybrid engine platforms. This rocket is a culmination of three years' experience.
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Design Team: SRT-3 (2015-2016)
Build Team: SRT-3 (2015-2016) Modified: SRT-4 (2016-2017) SRT-5 (2017-2018) |
Number of Flights: 1
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 8,777 ft AGL Propulsion: NP-915 Icarus II [Hybrid] M-O Class Solid [98 mm] |
Phoenix
Phoenix Launch Vehicle
Phoenix was the second vehicle built by SRT. Designed, built, and flown in two 15-week semesters, this system has achieved two test flights in its solid retrofitted configuration. Initially designed for flight with a hybrid engine, the design was later adapted to fly with low-thrust solid motors. Phoenix featured a distinctive poly-carbonate electronics bay along with a custom-wound carbon fiber body, aluminum bulkheads, and 3D-printed ULTEM 9085 tailcone (printed and donated by Stratasys).
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Design Team: SRT-2 (2016-2017)
Build Team: SRT-2 (2016-2017) Modified: N/A |
Number of Flights: 2
Maximum Altitude Achieved: 4,750 ft AGL Propulsion: LN-400 Helios I [Hybrid] LN Class Solid [75mm] |
Valor
Valor Launch Vehicle
Valor was the first rocket ever built by SRT. As the pioneering design, Valor has been the foundation for many of proceeding designs. Setting the precedent for subsequent timelines, this rocket was designed and built in two 15-week semesters. Valor featured a custom-wound carbon fiber body, aluminum bulkheads, and a 3D-printed GPS containment module housed in the nosecone tip for optimal connectivity.
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Design Team: SRT-1 (2013-2014)
Build Team: SRT-1 (2013-2014) Modified: N/A |
Number of Flights: 0
Maximum Altitude Achieved: N/A Propulsion: LN-350 Alpha I [Hybrid] |
