Help Launch UCF's Most Powerful Liquid Rocket!

Daniel Sherlock is organizing this fundraiser to benefit Knights Experimental Rocketry Inc.

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Knights Experimental Rocketry is a collegiate rocketry club at the University of Central Florida and has been building rockets for several competitions since 2022. The FAR 10K team has been working hard on "Project Basilisk" over the past 5 months. This project is an ambitious three-tank Liquid Bi-Propellant rocket designed to utilize nitrous oxide and ethanol as propellants. With your support, we are going to compete at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (F.A.R.) 10k competition, and we need your help to make this dream a reality.

Club Overview: As a club, we have a mission to cultivate a passion for science, technology, and space exploration while developing both technical and leadership skills that prepare students for their professional careers. We have found that rocketry provides an excellent platform for students to discover their full potential by challenging them with intimidating projects and leadership experiences. Students will grow their confidence by accomplishing what they have previously thought was impossible.

Project Basilisk Overview: "Project Basilisk" represents the culmination of months of research and hard work by our talented students. This three-tank liquid bi-propellant rocket is an iteration of KXR’s first liquid bi-propellant which successfully launched on July 15th, 2023, and was the first Liquid Bipropellant to be launched by a Florida University, reaching an apogee of over 4,500 feet. Our 18-foot-long airframe will be hand-built out of prepreg carbon fiber and will house one of the most ambitious propulsion system and payload designed and developed by students in our club.

System Overviews:

Propulsion: Basilisk’s propulsion system is comprised of a three-tank pressure fed bi-propellant engine. Utilizing Nitrous-Oxide as our oxidizer and Ethanol for fuel, Nitrogen is used to force our propellant to the injector and into combustion chamber. It is one of the most complex rocket engines attempted by University Students.
Airframe: Our airframe is approximately 18 feet in length and will be hand built out of prepreg carbon fiber. The recovery system features a dual deployment system with a drogue and main parachute and a plumbing bay between the Nitrogen and Fuel Tank.
Payloads: Utilizing Arduino and Beta Flight our payload is an FPV RC Drone that will be autonomously deployed at 400 feet and after deployment will be flown to a designated drop off zone.

Why Basilisk Matters: Basilisk is a testament to the ingenuity and hard work of our students who have dedicated countless hours of research and development and as we move into manufacturing and testing this is where all that effort comes to fruition. By supporting this project, your contribution directly fuels our progress, supporting the next generation of aerospace professionals and promoting the pursuit of excellence in STEM fields.

Your Contribution's Impact: The development and launch of Basilisk involve significant costs, including the acquisition of materials, machining costs, testing equipment, and competition expenses. Here are some of the ways your contributions will be supporting this project:

Materials and Components: As we manufacture our rocket, we want to use high-quality parts that will both ensure the success of our mission and guarantee the safety of our team. Due to this, we must steer away from more affordable but more risky options to more expensive but safer options. This means that we need funding from YOU to help ensure our missions is successful and that our team can remain safe.
Transportation: As we are competing in competition 2,000 miles away from UCF, we have a variety of expenses related to the transportation of the rocket, the support equipment for it, and most importantly the people who are needed to launch it. Because of this, we need funding from YOU to aid in transporting our rocket and our team to competition and housing them for its duration.
Housing Accommodations: While out at competition, we need the space to store our rocket and house our team. Because of this, we need funding from YOU to help ensure that we have a secure place to store our rocket while away from UCF and a safe place for our team to go before and after launching our rocket.

Connect with Us: Follow us on social media to stay updated on Basilisk's progress and see the impact of your contribution:

Instagram | Website | Club LinkedIn

Donate Today and Propel Basilisk to New Heights!

Thank you for your contributions and helping us make Basilisk a reality!

The FAR 10K Team

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