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 isopropyl alcohol as fuel and nitrous oxide as both the pressurant and oxidizer. This self–pressurizing system deletes the separate pressurant system on typical pressure-fed rockets which reduces vehicle mass and complexity. The Darcy team builds simple and cheap liquid rockets while also working on tight timelines which allows Darcy rockets to be launched less than a year after their inception.

Felicette

Utilizing experimental architectures as well as old ones from Darcy I and II, Felicette will break records and make its mark on collegiate rocketry.

Darcy II

Highest Recovered Collegiate Liquid Rocket

Darcy II currently holds the collegiate record for the highest launched and recovered liquid rocket. 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 re-launched Darcy II later in the year and successfully recovered it.

**Vehicle Specs**
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 inspired by Half Cat Rocketry to be an autogenously pressurized N20/IPA vehicle. 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.

**Vehicle Specs**
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