Updates
TARS Program
Engine Development Program
The first phase of development of the turbopump-driven engine is the TARS-1 engine. Built as a pathfinder to both manufacture hand-woven ablative chambers as well as get comfortable with testing larger liquid-fueled rocket engines. Since it is a test bed, we also decided to conduct research on it to aid the amateur community hopefully with data. This data will include a condition called flow separation has on small composite rocket engines.
Update 4/04/2023 Part 2
We Assembled in hot-fire configuration with our heatsink engine and ultimately ran out of propellant and daylight after three solid attempts at a hot-fire.
Update 4/04/2023 Part 1
First attempt hot fire campaign. The entire team assembled in Texas and worked to assemble tank stand 1.0 in under 3 days. We then drove out to our test site and set up for cold flows. We successfully cold-flowed our 3D printed Copper Alloy injectors and moved onto hotfire operations.
Update 3/10/2023
Water flowed both the LOX and Kerosene manifold of the injectors prepping for the hot fire week.
Update 2/24/2023
Received our hot fire injectors from Launcher Space, 3D printed out of copper alloy. Machining done by Bechtel Innovation and Design Center at Purdue University.
Update 10/01/2022
Hardware! Here’s a quick integrated test of one of our two main propellant valves with the mounted pneumatic solenoid valve. Test stand assembly is in full swing!
Update 09/03/2022
WE DID IT! Magnetar is fully funded! In the coming days we'll be sending thank you notes to each backer - without you, our project could not be possible. Expect lots of hardware photos in the next month, we hope you're excited as we are for the first-ever TARS-1 engine test!
Update 08/13/2022
The first TARS-1 rocket engine is assembled and ready to begin proof testing and pass all the pre-static fire milestones starting with a hydrostatic proof test to make sure the chamber can withstand firing pressures.
Update 07/26/2022
The Rocket Kart 1.0 CAD is done! This will be the test stand used to test TARS-1 along with future assemblies including gas generators. Designed to be integrated with an I-beam at FAR (Friends of Amateur Rocketry) this modular design lets us have lots of flexibility in test design and operations.
