THE DARCY PROGRAM
The Darcy Program was founded to increase YJSP’s launch cadence, test systems for bigger and more expensive rockets, and create the cheapest possible liquid rocket. Every Darcy rocket uses nitrous oxide as both the pressurant and oxidizer inspired by Half Cat Rocketry. This self–pressurizing system deletes the separate pressurant system on typical pressure-fed rockets which reduces vehicle mass and complexity.
Felicette
On May 15, 2026, YJSP’s premier N2O-IPA vehicle, Felicette, launched to an apogee of 47,366 feet AGL. Despite some hardware failures shortly after liftoff, including the recovery system immediately deploying the nosecone, the vehicle performed extremely well for the condition it was in, and validated many systems that can be applied to future vehicles. The launch of Felicette proved that YJSP as a program is capable of bringing a vehicle, Stairway To Heaven (our custom 60’ launch rail), and dedicated crew to the Black Rock Desert and safely set up and launch an extremely complex, record breaking liquid rocket in some of the harshest conditions in the world.
Felicette was named after the first feline to go to space, a black-and-white stray from Paris launched by the French Space Program in 1963.
Launching Felicette was the culmination of over three years of dedicated work building upon the success of Darcy I and II and thousands of hours of work by our members. After two static fires and three cold flows, Felicette flew off the rail making it the largest flown amateur N2O-IPA rocket. We can’t wait to build on everything this launch has taught us as we work toward our mission to send a liquid rocket to space!
| Apogee | 47,366 ft |
|---|---|
| Average Thrust | 1800 lbf |
| Engine Type | Ablative Engine |
| Wet Mass | 390 lbs |
| Burn Time | 23 sec |
| Propellants | N2O + IPA |
| Length | 20 ft |
| Diameter | 8" |
Vamos A La Playa
- A Felicette Launch Short Film
Darcy II
Highest Recovered Collegiate Liquid Rocket
On December 16, 2023, Darcy II broke the collegiate record for the highest-launched and recovered liquid rocket, a record that Darcy II held from its launch until the launch of Waterloo Rocketry’s Polaris in 2026. It was conceptualized in late 2022 and was launched twice in 2023. The first flight in March 2023 failed mid-flight due to a structural anomaly. After some modifications, the team rebuilt and re-launched Darcy II and successfully recovered it. Darcy II now rests suspended from the ceiling in the atrium of the Montgomery Knight Building, serving as a reminder to all AE students that “the sky’s not the limit.”
| Apogee | 30,187 ft |
|---|---|
| Average Thrust | 450 lbf |
| Engine Type | Ablative Engine |
| Wet Mass | 56.5 lbs |
| Burn Time | 12 sec |
| Propellants | N2O + IPA |
| Length | 11.5 ft |
| Diameter | 4" |
Darcy I
Georgia Tech’s First Liquid Rocket Launch
On August 6th, 2022, YJSP launched Georgia Tech’s first ever liquid-fueled rocket, Darcy I. Darcy was named after the Darcy-Weisbach Equation and was the very first Half Cat inspired collegiate rocket. It launched in the early afternoon from the FAR site in the Mojave desert and is estimated to have flown around 20,000 ft high. Unfortunately, Darcy I’s parachute didn’t deploy and the rocket broke on landing.
| Apogee | 20,000 ft |
|---|---|
| Average Thrust | 360 lbf |
| Engine Type | Ablative Engine |
| Wet Mass | 35 lbs |
| Burn Time | N/A |
| Propellants | N2O + IPA |
| Length | 11 ft |
| Diameter | 3" |
Photos
Darcy II
Darcy I
