You can say they had a blast.

The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering’s (BCOE) student aerospace engineering organization made history with the recent successful launch of its first-ever liquid rocket. The Highlander Space Program (HSP) also took home two first-place awards at a recent international competition that pitted their rocket against those of students from across the country and from technology-focused universities in Canada and Poland.

“This is such a monumental milestone for our team,” said HSP president and chemical engineering major Hitha Antony. “These achievements were the culmination of three years of hard work, late nights, and relentless drive.”

Founded three years ago, HSP began as a small group of students passionate about space and engineering. In May 2025, after years of design, fabrication, and testing, the team traveled to the Mojave Desert for the Friends of Amateur Rocketry - Oxidizers Uninhibited Tournament (FAR-OUT), an international and intercollegiate competition. Their competitors included teams from Columbia University as well as students from Poznan University of Technology in Poland and Polytechnique Montreal in Quebec, Canada.

It was at FAR-OUT that Poseidon, HSP’s rocket powered by a nitrous oxide/ethanol engine, made its successful launch.

The rocket soared to an apogee of 7,340 feet, earning the team two awards: first place in Category A (flight altitudes of 3,000-15,000 feet) and the Most Efficient Liquid Engine award.

This achievement did not come easily.

Just a year earlier, at the 2023-24 FAR-OUT, HSP attempted its first-ever static fire — a rocket fire without a launch — of a liquid engine. The result was unsuccessful. The valves, preventing proper combustion. No thrust was generated.

“Rather than be discouraged, our team decided to bounce back with new ideas and renewed determination,” said George Herrera (Chemical Engineering, ’24), an alum and HSP’s former 2023-2024 fluid systems lead. “The team decided to redesign the engine from scratch,” he added.

As the 2024-2025 academic year began, many HSP student leaders had graduated, and new members joined, but the team's spirit and drive remained unchanged. Former members, such as Herrera, continued to support the effort, offering feedback and advice as the team pressed forward with manufacturing, testing, and preparing for FAR-OUT.

After graduation, Herrera continued to serve as an advisor to HSP and assisted the team as a FAR-OUT volunteer. He is currently a test engineer at space-technology company Blue Origin. Javen Dosanjh (Mechanical Engineering, ’24), an alum and former HSP officer (president and chief engineer), provided advice during the designing, manufacturing, and testing phases. He is currently a test engineer at space-technology company SpaceX.

HSP’s first successful static fire of Poseidon came in April 2025. For members who had been there since the beginning, it was the first time in three years that their work had come to life in flame and thrust. That moment — raw, emotional, and long-awaited — marked the turning point that carried the team to success at FAR-OUT a month later. With the engine proven and testing complete, the remaining pieces quickly fell into place, allowing the team to finish the full flight vehicle and launch integration for competition.

The team credits its victory not only to current members but also to former members and alumni who helped lay the foundation in HSP’s early years.

“From countless design revisions and calculations to hours of troubleshooting and securing competition resources, each generation of students contributed to making the dream of a UCR liquid rocket a reality,” Herrera said.

On the heels of these successes, HSP is looking ahead to its next challenge: Project Clementine. This two-year endeavor, named in homage to UCR’s citrus-research roots, will feature the team’s most ambitious design yet: a regeneratively cooled liquid oxygen/isopropyl alcohol engine, paired with thrust vector control.

Beyond competitions, Antony said HSP provides members with invaluable opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to real-world engineering challenges. By working hands-on with propulsion, avionics, structures, and launch operations, students gain experience that prepares them for careers in aerospace and beyond.

“As HSP continues to grow, our members remain committed to representing UCR and the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering with excellence, resilience, and innovation,” Antony said.

Header Image: Image of the successful test of the Highlander Space Program's (HSP) liquid rocket named Poseidon. (All images courtesy of HSP)