Beach Rocket Lab
The Beach Rocket Lab acts as a central hub for rocketry research on the California State University, Long Beach campus. Located in the Engineering Technology Building, the lab is equipped and supported with the advanced fabrication machinery and tools necessary to develop liquid rockets, as well as support hybrid and solid rocketry.
It allows a space for students to gain hands-on experience in the design, fabrication, analysis and launching of rockets. The Rocket lab supports over 200 students annually and is home to three student rocketry organizations: Beach Launch Team, Long Beach Rocketry and the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association.
Located in the heart of Space Beach, the CSULB Rocket Lab and its students get the chance to work with leaders in the aerospace industry, like Northrop Grumman, NextGen Aeronautics Corp., Air Force Research Laboratory and more.
Pressure-fed propulsion static-fire test stand for research and testing rocket engines
Funded by the AFRL, this test stand is the culmination of over 6 months of research and production, and allows students to test subsystems concerned with the inner structure, engine, propulsion and avionics of a rocket. Housing a complex core of propulsion systems, data sensors and a 3D-printed metal thrust chamber, the test stand is rated to test engines up to 2000 lbf of thrust.
Design and Test of LOX-CH4 Launch Vehicles Towards High Altitude Flight
- The Beach 1 rocket is a liquid bipropellant Reusable Launch Vehicle entirely designed, built and operated by CSULB students, including all launch and firing operations.
Modular Liquid Propellant Launch Vehicle Design
- Graduate Researcher Derek Yoshi Honkawa and Associate Professor Mahdi Yoozbashizadeh created a Modular Launch Vehicle Architecture to provide greater flexibility in the design and manufacture of liquid bipropellant rockets.
Initial testing on Nitrous/ kerosene liquid rocket static fire test stand conducted on Nov/18/2023
Advisers
Dr. Mahdi Yoozbashizadeh
Principal Investigator, Founder
Dr. Praveen Shankar
Principal Investigator, Founder
Mark Holthaus
Industry Adviser
Students
Yegor Morozov
Graduate Student
Tyler Pham
Lab Assistant
Derek Madrid
Beach Rocket Lab Manager
Summer Rocket Camp
In partnership with National College Resources Foundation (NCRF), the Beach Rocket Lab holds a 1 week Introduction to Rocket Science camp for middle and high school students.
This camp provides a detailed overview of the basic principles of rocketry, combined with hands-on experiments and testing to prepare young students for a future in mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Tours
The Beach Rocket Lab is open for tours from prospective students and industry representatives. Interested parties may contact Dr. Mahdi Yoozbashizadeh to schedule a tour of the facilities.
Partnership
The Beach Rocket Lab is open for collaborations on a variety of project types and scopes. The lab is capable of providing expertise and resources tailored for all stages of a project. Contact Dr. Mahdi Yoozbashizadeh to learn more.
