PAST SYMPOSIUMS

2026 Liquid Propulsion Symposium

Our fourth annual Liquid Propulsion Symposium celebrated 100 years of liquid rocketry and Robert Goddard’s first launch of “Nell” in 1926. We had over 450 attendees, including 44 university teams and 19 companies represented.

Presentations and Program

See the full 2026 program, schedule, and schools here.

Below are the presentations that have been made available by the speakers. Check back later for those marked TBD.

  1. LOX Cleaning Fundamentals (link)

  2. Running Your Rocket Team (link)

  3. FAR-OUT and Competition Update (link)

  4. Nitrous Oxide 101 w/Half Cat (link)

  5. The Evolving Space Domain (link TBD)

  6. Liquid Rocket Safety (link)

  7. Pressurization Fundamentals (link)

  8. Hypergolic Liquid Rocket Engines (link TBD)

  9. From University Team to Lunar Hardware (link TBD)

  10. Liquid Rocket Testing Lifecycle (link)

  11. Design of GNC Flight Computers (link TBD)

  12. Liquid Assisted Solid Rockets (link)

  13. Liquid Rockets Design to Launch (link)

  14. Ground Support Electronics (link)

  15. New Dome Loaded Regulator Design (link)

The State of Collegiate Liquid Rocketry 2026

Access the full published book of school projects (“rocket posters”) on display at the symposium and see the 2026 award winners here.

The 2026 Photo Album

Thank you to Rick Maschek and Eric Beckner for taking photos during the symposium. Here is a collection of some of the best moments: Photo Album

2025 Liquid Propulsion Symposium

  1. Morning Keynote: “The Space Force and the Nation Need You” - Colonel Luke Sauter, Permanent Professor of Astronautics and Engineering – US Air Force Academy.  (Presentation link)

  2. Liquid Rocket Safety – Mark Holthaus, FAR Officer (Presentation Link)

  3. HalfCat Rocketry – Austin Sennott and Charles Sharp (Presentation Link)

  4. History of Experimental Liquid Development – John Garvey (Presentation Link)

  5. California Pyro Op Responsibilities - Caleb Phillips – Deputy State Fire Marshal CalFire (Presentation Link)

  6. LOX Cleaning w/Astro Pak - Chad Clements – Chemical Engineer, Astro Pak (Presentation Link)

  7. 3D Printed Engines – Charlie Garcia – Reflect Orbital (Link coming soon)

  8. DESR 6055.09 Overview - Mark Ventura – Ventura Energy Systems (Presentation Link)

  9. Afternoon Keynote: “To the Moon with the Apollo Engineers” (Presentation Link)

  10. Liquid Rockets 101 with the KegRocket – Ryan Callahan (Presentation Link)

  11. The 12 Steps of Recovery – Mike & Preston Brinker (Presentation Link)

  12. Apollo Lunar Module Descent Engine Design and Function – Gary Moir, Retired Apollo Engineer (Presentation Link)

  13. Igniters – Mark Holthaus, FAR Officer (Presentation Link)

  14. Polytropic Process - Mark Ventura – Ventura Energy Systems (Presentation Link)

  15. Closing Keynote: “How to Land a Rocket” with Joe Barnard (video coming soon from BPS.space)

This is also our first-year publishing “The State of Collegiate Liquid Rocketry 2025” – a collection of twenty university and amateur liquid rocket projects that were on display at the Symposium.

A copy of the original symposium program is here.

33 Liquid rocket teams attended in 2025: Arizona State University, Boston University, Cal Poly - SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State University Long Beach, Caltech, Cornell University, Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univ, Norco College, Orange Coast College, Pacific Academy, Purdue University, San Diego State University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, United States Air Force Academy, Univ of Tennessee Knoxville, University of Arizona, University of Central Florida, University of North Dakota, University of Southern California, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Virginia Tech, and three international schools: Autonomous University of Baja Cal, Unimontes, & University of Puerto Rico.

2024 Liquid Propulsion Symposium

2023 Liquid Propulsion Symposium