Students in Embry-Riddle's Rocket Development Lab Reach for Space

Most first-year students spend their first semester adjusting to college life. Dakota Cate ('27), now a rising senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, was designing rocket engines.

Inside the Rocket Development Lab (RDL), undergraduate students research, design, build and test advanced rocket technologies typically associated with graduate-level programs or industry research facilities. From liquid bi-propellant engines to full-scale flight vehicles, students at Embry-Riddle are transforming classroom theory into real-world aerospace innovation, one engine test at a time.

It's Rocket Science

For Dakota, a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering student and president of the Rocket Development Lab at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus, the organization represents far more than a student club.

“It’s an incredible opportunity that you are unlikely to see at any other school in the nation,” he said.

That opportunity begins the moment students join the organization.

“We accept students of all years and degrees,” Dakota explained. “New members, including first-year students, are able to immediately jump into projects, and we teach them everything they need to know to contribute.”

Today, the RDL includes more than 150 members, 15 active projects and six student-led teaching programs that introduce members to rocket engineering principles, testing procedures and systems development. Students from Mechanical, Aerospace and Electrical Engineering disciplines collaborate on propulsion systems, avionics, aerodynamics and structural design while gaining hands-on experience in a professional-style engineering environment.

His Path Was Clear

For Dakota, the path to rocket engineering began long before college.

“I’ve loved creating things for as long as I can remember,” he said.

As a child, Dakota explored woodworking and jewelry making before launching a handmade jewelry business at just 13 years old. Later, his curiosity expanded into electronics and engineering systems, eventually leading him to prototype electronics for the U.S. military while still in high school.

That same drive to create and innovate ultimately led him to Embry-Riddle and the RDL.

“I was looking for something to further develop my engineering skills through hands-on learning and direct engineering applications,” Dakota said. “The RDL seemed to be the perfect place to do it.”

Lock In to Experiential Learning

That hands-on experience has become one of the organization’s defining strengths.

Students apply concepts learned in courses such as thermodynamics, fluids, statics, heat transfer and materials science directly to RDL projects. Teams calculate thermal loads, structural limits and fluid flow rates while designing and testing real propulsion systems.

“The RDL provides us with a great avenue to take the principles we’ve learned, apply them and expand on prior knowledge directly through research and testing,” Dakota said.

One project Dakota proudly highlights is Kernel, a  team led by first-year students who are developing a new monopropellant rocket engine. Over the course of the academic year, the students presented their designs to RDL’s technical committee and are preparing to manufacture and test the engine this fall.

“They came into the club with an idea, assembled a team and are building a brand-new rocket engine from scratch,” Dakota said. “That’s an incredible opportunity.”

Real-World Preparation

The organization’s collaborative culture is also central to its success. Students work across disciplines using a systems engineering approach similar to what they will encounter in the aerospace industry. Experienced members mentor newer students through lectures, technical review panels, hobby rocket construction programs and hands-on testing certifications.

“We’re constantly teaching each other,” Dakota said. “Most importantly, we’re teaching new members about our findings so they can continue our work.”

That mentorship pipeline has already helped students secure highly competitive internships and careers with organizations such as NASA and SpaceX.

“The most rewarding part of my involvement has been watching new members gain unique experiences that directly prepare them for internships and careers,” Dakota said. 

The RDL is also gaining national attention for the scope of its work. According to Dakota, RDL operates the nation’s only undergraduate liquid bi-propellant rocket engine testing facility fully run by students. Teams within the organization are currently testing advanced propulsion systems, building competition rockets and pursuing ambitious long-term goals that push the boundaries of collegiate rocketry.

Among them: developing space-shot rockets capable of crossing the Kármán line — the internationally recognized boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space.

If successful, Embry-Riddle would become the first university to pass the Kármán line using a liquid-propelled rocket and only the second university to do so with a solid-propelled rocket.

Ready for Liftoff

For Dakota, those goals represent more than technical achievement. They reflect the spirit of innovation, collaboration and curiosity that drives the RDL forward.

“We’re seeking to accomplish extraordinary rocket engineering feats, inspire prospective students and teach new members and the public about all things rocket engineering,” he said.

At Embry-Riddle, the next generation of aerospace engineers is not waiting until graduation to shape the future of flight. They are already building it.