Purdue Orbital

Purdue Orbital Our goal is to design, test, and implement systems that are capable of achieving orbit for small sat

Our goal is to further space flight technology through designing, testing, and implementing systems to achieve orbit for small satellite platforms at an affordable price. To achieve this goal, we are designing a launch vehicle that will propel a 1 kg or less satellite into orbit around the earth for a non-reusable cost of less than $4500 and an orbit duration of at least three orbits.

Purdue Day of Giving has arrived‼️ (Link below)We're only able to accomplish what we do thanks to the support we recieve...
04/29/2026

Purdue Day of Giving has arrived‼️ (Link below)

We're only able to accomplish what we do thanks to the support we recieve, which today is about people like you!

If you're interested in helping us achieve our goals, consider donating today so that we can continue pushing higher, faster, and further than ever before.

https://dayofgiving.purdue.edu/campaigns/orbital

The link can also be found in our Bio!

And last (but far from least!) for the 25-26 school year was Purdue Orbital's first EVER successful High Altitude Balloo...
04/28/2026

And last (but far from least!) for the 25-26 school year was Purdue Orbital's first EVER successful High Altitude Balloon launch!

Carrying avionics for tracking and balloon detachment, as well a GNC cold gas control system for roll stabilization, this achievement is a giant leap towards realizing the goal that sits at the core of Purdue Orbital: Launching a high powered rocket from a balloon mounted launch structure, aka a rockoon!

So what comes next? We take a step back and analyze what worked, what didn't, and mostly importantly we begin building off of the lessons learned from this launch as we continue to push towards the goals that inspire us.

Good luck on your finals Boilermakers, and we hope to see you all back next year! Boiler up, best of luck to our graduating seniors, and go Orbital!

Want to help us achieve our goals? We encourage you to donate to Orbital on Purdue Day of Giving this Wednesday, April 29th, using the link in our bio!

Before a rocket ever leaves the ground, the motor that powers its flight must undergo extensive testing, which is exactl...
04/27/2026

Before a rocket ever leaves the ground, the motor that powers its flight must undergo extensive testing, which is exactly what our propulsion team was up to just this Saturday!

Using two motor grains made in-house, this test was the first using both our in-house 98mm test bed as well as a custom data acquisition (DAQ) setup. Both of these system proved themselves this weekend, laying the ground work for further propellant characterization and allowing for testing of new grain geometries for future Purdue Orbital motors.

Tests like these allow us to accomplish bigger and better things as we move closer to goals that may have seemed out of reach not all that long ago. With Purdue Day of Giving just around the corner this Wednesday, April 29th, we hope to raise funds that will allow us to go higher, faster, and further than ever before as we look towards the future. If you want to support Purdue Orbital, you can follow the link that will be in our bio this Wednesday to donate and help make these dreams possible.

Congratulations to everyone who made this test a resounding success, and go Orbital!

(I hope you don't think that's all we did this weekend, stay tuned to find out what brought out team to Kokomo municipal airport just this morning...)

And what better way to go into exam week than with a perfect launch!Last weekend, Purdue Orbital successfully launched t...
04/23/2026

And what better way to go into exam week than with a perfect launch!

Last weekend, Purdue Orbital successfully launched the "Tiger Cub" rocket at LDRS 44, the Tripoli Rocketry Association's (TRA) largest event of the year. Developed over the course of a single semester, Tiger Cub is a fully integrated, student researched and developed (SRAD) system, sporting a fully custom airframe in the Purdue Black and Gold and carrying a motor designed and cast by Purdue Orbital members at Zucrow Labs.

Despite early setbacks on Saturday, Tiger Cub soared to 14,300 feet (over 376 engineering fountains tall, or 1,430 of the world's largest drum!) and was recovered in perfect condition, a testament to the hard work of our incredibly talented student engineers who continue to push Orbital higher, faster, and further than ever before!

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