History of the Cal Poly Pomona LRL Program

The overarching objective of the Cal Poly Pomona Liquid Rocket Lab (LRL) is to provide a program and facility to train the next generation of aerospace engineers in the technology of liquid propellant rocketry. This training is focused on a specific set of projects that are needed to be completed in order for the students to advance our set of vehicles and rocket components to the next development level. They are building upon the previous academic year’s team accomplishments and hardware development status. The Cal Poly Pomona LRL has sponsored many projects throughout its 9-year history. A new facility enclosure had its grand opening at the start of the 22-23 AY, April 2022. Construction of the Liquid Rocket Lab was completed to support research projects that will be conducted by LRL students. Our teams have taken on the challenges of conducting research in the areas of: Additive Manufacturing for Rocketry, development of a turbopump fed liquid rocket engine (called ZEUS) and building a rocket capable of going to space called the Bronco 2. Each of these research areas contribute to building the capabilities of our LRL and advancing our overall objective of getting to space. This paper describes the events and buildup of the Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) Liquid Rocket Lab (LRL) program and facilities.