Texas Rocket Engineering Lab

TREL is delighted to announce a significant contribution from NI, now part of Emerson, that promises to elevate our organization to new heights. This generous donation is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency and capabilities of our test teams – Hotfire, Stage Test and Launch, and Component Test. As we eagerly anticipate the transformative impact on our testing cadence, we express our sincere gratitude to NI for their invaluable support, contributing to the success and progress of our aerospace endeavors.

We are over the moon to start Spring Recruitment! 🚀
Come out to at least one of our Info Sessions to gain access to our application! Join us at the EER Mulva auditorium 0.904 on either Monday, January 22nd or Tuesday, January 23rd from 6 to 7:30 pm. We are looking for dedicated people — NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED! Our lab is open to graduates and undergraduates alike, as well as those interested in engineering or business, regardless of their major. We encourage everyone to apply! If you have any interest in rockets or space and would like to apply, attend one of our info sessions, and don’t hesitate to DM or email us with questions. We look forward to meeting you either Monday or Tuesday and hope we can help you shoot for the stars! ✨

To visit our website and stay updated on our other socials, click the link in our bio!

Our work with raceways is processing. But, what exactly are Raceways?

Raceways are an essential part of rockets that house external fluids and electrical lines, transporting propellants and electricity up and down the length of the rocket. However, since the Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) are structural, there is no internal path for the lines to go without risking depressurization and leaks during fill and flight. To solve this issue, we have created raceway covers using fiberglass layup, which are connected with bolts to 3D-printed holders running the entire length of the rocket. These removable covers make it easier to connect the external lines and perform maintenance when necessary.
We've been working on making longer, continuous section pieces for our raceway covers. Initially, this was challenging because our old, shorter layups were cured under vacuum. However, for the longer parts, we decided to eliminate the use of vacuum and compensate by changing our resin-to-fiber ratio during the wet layup process. The result has been an even better surface finish than before.

We’re proud of the progress our students have been making and we can’t wait to see what’s next!