The Senior Design Project Support Program is meant to offer supplemental funding in support of high-level student-led research and design projects. Projects must show clear relevance to NASAs mission and ongoing research at one or more of the NASA centers/under the umbrella of one or more of the four mission directorates. This funding source is meant to supplement the cost of materials and supplies and/or travel for competitions related to the student project. Senior Design programs are a holistic experience where the students function as real-life engineers with real-life challenges and responsibilities beyond the technical aspects of the profession. They work as teams on largely industry-inspired/sponsored projects and after two semesters they deliver an engineered system/product, which is defended in front of a panel of experienced expert professionals. They have to deal with the challenges of teamwork, project and budget management, estimation, procurement, redesigns, as well as hands-on manufacturing and communications of all forms with their clients, supervisors and the public. Industry, government, private and non-profit agencies partnered with student groups to sponsor innovative projects designed to provide solutions to current engineering challenges. This program supports the workforce development and research infrastructure goals of NASA Education. LaSPACE funds are typically used to help cover fabrication costs and travel expenses to external competitions or conferences for student participants.

Senior Design, LSU, Baran, Proposal Abstract: The objective of this senior design project is to further research for a re-useable launch vehicle by developing a new end-burning hybrid motor test stand and flying one core-burning hybrid-motor onboard an existing rocket (2016-2017 Project Andromeda) while promoting aerospace engineering to incoming students at LSU; all to enhance aerospace-related education. Students of different engineering disciplines will help integrate real-world research into a successful design by delivering a fully-integrated/tested system. Students will become familiar with the full design process (Fall 2017 and Spring 2018) where they will deal with the challenges of: project/budget management, teamwork, procurement, redesigns, manufacturing, and communication. LSU Students will design, develop, and test: (a) a dedicated end-burning rocket development test stand, (b) an end-burning LN2O-Paraffin hybrid rocket motor, and (c) fail-safe liquid N2O oxidizer flight system. Then students will (d) fly an existing hybrid-motor on the Icarus rocket with parachute recovery. In future senior design projects, there will be opportunities to develop increasingly capable end-burning solid/hybrid motor-powered rocket-gliders. Key project design features:
1.) Mechanical Structure & Piping Design â Develop new end-burning test stand, valves, safety procedures.
2.) Propulsion Design — LN2O-Paraffin hybrid motor: tank, valve, injector, combustion chamber, nozzle.
3.) Ground Testing â Full functional demonstration of new end-burning rocket hybrid motor test stand.
4.) Guidance, Navigation, and Control â New ground-ops controller, adapt flight controller, telemetry.
5.) Aerodynamic/Flight Performance â Test and fly an existing core-burning rocket, aero-stability, trajectory.
Deliverables include: Fully functional end-burning LN2O ground system and hybrid motor, rocket flight.