CUSF Propulsive Lander Team

Team of 30+ within CUSF founded in December 2024 to develop a reusable liquid fuelled hopper rocket that flies to 100m and lands propulsively to compete in the Collegiate Propulsive Lander Challenge (CPLC) against 20+ universities in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and more.

See Our Milestones

Our Milestones

In Progress

1. Mini-TVC Drone

Designing a Thrust Vector Controlled drone to test and demonstrate flight software and control systems. This is the first step towards building the complex guidance systems needed for a propulsive landing.

Sub-teams:

Control Systems
Software
Electronics
Mechanical

In Progress: Hot Fire Target July 2026

2. Throttlable Liquid-Fuelled Rocket Engine

x2 Propulsion Teams are in competition to design, build, and test a highly throttlable liquid fuelled rocket engine. This engine is the heart of the lander, allowing for the precise thrust control needed to hover and land.

Sub-teams:

x2 Propulsion Teams
Feed Systems

Hopper Prototype Reference - SpaceX Starhopper

From January 2026

3. Mini-Hopper

A compact liquid fuelled hopper rocket with a mass of around 25kg, designed to demonstrate vertical takeoff and propulsive landing capabilities. This mini-hopper serves as a proof-of-concept platform to validate our control systems and landing algorithms before scaling up.

Target:

One of UK's first propulsively landed hopper rocket built by students
~25kg lift-off mass
Multiple test flights to validate systems
Controlled vertical landing

Future Goal

4. Large Hopper - CPLC Competition

The ultimate challenge: a full-scale competition vehicle meeting the Collegiate Propulsive Lander Challenge (CPLC) criteria. This vehicle will fly to 100+ meters altitude, hover, and land propulsively with precision. Success here opens the door to even more ambitious recovery projects.