Our Founding Mission
In 2015, four rocket enthusiasts at USC saw the rise of liquid propulsion as the future of aerospace. In pursuit of this path, they founded the Liquid Propulsion Lab (LPL).
Their focus? Rapid design, test, and documentation of liquid proppulsion engines. Their mindset? Strive for the industry standard at a collegiate scale.
Today, LPL is a leading student group in liquid rocketry innovation. With 22 papers published, 10 engines built, and 85+ members, we are shaping the next generation of aerospace leaders.
And this year, we launched our most ambitious project to date:
Building Ranger 1, Americas first student reusable rocket lander.
Industry Standard, Collegiate Scale.
Since its beginning, LPL has had one core pillar — meet and exceed industry standards as students.
We design for practicality, chase test candence, and iterate on results. And we do it fast.
With 10 engine hotfires in 2025, this mantra is core to every undertaking, and it's our driving mindset in building our new lander.
