MIT Rocket Team
MIT Rocket Team is a student-led, non-profit rocketry organization at MIT that designs and builds advanced single-stage and two-stage rockets with solid and liquid propulsion systems, competing annually in the Spaceport America Cup and funded entirely through corporate sponsorships and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What MIT Rocket Team does
MIT Rocket Team is a student-led, non-profit collegiate rocketry organization based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The team designs, manufactures, and launches advanced high-power rockets, including single-stage and two-stage vehicles, for competition in the Spaceport America Cup's 30K SRAD (Student Researched and Designed) category. Core technical work spans solid rocket motors, liquid rocket engines (most recently the ethanol/nitrous oxide Polaris blow-down engine and the ethanol/LOX Helios pressure-fed engine), avionics including the in-house Pyxida flight computer, propulsion, structures, aerodynamics, simulations, and flight control systems. Notable technical milestones include the 2023 Phoenix rocket reaching 32,000 ft altitude (setting a team record) and Raziel achieving 2nd place out of 46 teams at the 2017 Spaceport America Cup.
The organization is supported institutionally by MIT departments (AeroAstro, Mechanical Engineering, Edgerton Center, Finboard) and funded entirely through corporate sponsorships and individual donations from entities such as Blue Origin, Dassault Systemes, and Agile Space Industries. All engineering and operational work is performed voluntarily by roughly 100+ student members organized across executive leadership and multiple technical divisions (Liquid Lander, High Altitude Solids, and project-specific subteams such as Osiris and Sphinx). The go-to-market approach is community- and event-led: recruiting members through MIT's talent pipeline, pursuing sponsorships directly via their website and sponsorship program, and competing annually at the Spaceport America Cup to generate visibility and demonstration outcomes.
The team's revenue model is donations- and sponsorships-based rather than commercial. No products or services are sold; inbound value flows from corporate sponsorship packages (offering publicity, talent access, and brand association), alumni contributions, and individual donations processed through MIT's donation platform. Key partners include aerospace primes and tooling/software providers that supply both funding and engineering tools (e.g., Dassault Systemes simulation software). Recent project pipeline activity (Prometheus for 2024, Aurora for 2025, plus the Polaris launchable liquid engine) reflects a sustained annual competition and demonstrator cadence rather than commercial scaling.
MIT Rocket Team firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MIT Rocket Team
- Legal name
- MIT Rocket Team
- Website
- https://rocketry.mit.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MIT Rocket Team is a student-led, non-profit rocketry organization at MIT that designs and builds advanced single-stage and two-stage rockets with solid and liquid propulsion systems, competing annually in the Spaceport America Cup and funded entirely through corporate sponsorships and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MIT Rocket Team industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Collegiate Rocketry / Student Aerospace Engineering
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Guided Missile & Rocket Manufacturing (IMABAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rocket Motors, Propellants & Warhead Integration (IMABAHAC), Rocket Engines (Solid) (IMABADAF)
Keywords
Where MIT Rocket Team is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MIT Rocket Team business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sponsorships and Donations: MIT Rocket Team is entirely funded through sponsorships and donations from corporations, alumni, and individual contributors. All work is done voluntarily by students. Donations cover materials and logistics expenses.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
MIT Rocket Team product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MIT Rocket Team is a student-run organization that designs, builds, and flies high-power collegiate rockets and rocket propulsion systems (solid motors and liquid engines) for participation in competitions such as the Spaceport America Cup 30K SRAD category. The team develops custom flight computers, two-stage drag separation systems, and dual-deploy recovery systems, with current projects Aurora (2025 competition entry) and Polaris (first launchable liquid engine demonstrator). All work is performed voluntarily by MIT students and funded through corporate sponsorships and donations.
Product overview
MIT Rocket Team develops advanced rockets and rocket propulsion systems for competition purposes, primarily participating in the Spaceport America Cup. The team operates multiple projects across different development stages: Aurora serves as their upcoming 2025 Spaceport America Cup 30K SRAD category entry; Polaris is their first launchable liquid engine demonstrator using ethanol and nitrous oxide; Prometheus was their 2024 competition entry; and Helios is an ethanol/LOX engine demonstrator. Historical projects include Phoenix (COVID-era rocket reaching 32,000 ft), Staging Demonstrator series (two-stage separation technology), and Hermes series (solid propellant rockets for altitude records).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Aurora Aurora is MIT Rocket Team's advanced single-stage vehicle submission for the 2025 Spaceport America Cup 30K SRAD category, currently in the design phase. It is intended for student aerospace engineers building competition-grade rockets.
- Polaris Liquid Engine Polaris is MIT Rocket Team's first launchable liquid engine demonstrator. It is a blow-down ethanol and nitrous oxide engine designed for simplicity and iteration speed, intended for student aerospace engineers developing liquid propulsion systems.
- Prometheus Rocket Prometheus is MIT Rocket Team's two-stage 6.17" OD competition rocket submitted for the 2024 Spaceport America Cup 30K SRAD category. It uses a drag separation staging architecture and was tested in spring 2024.
- Helios Liquid Engine Helios is MIT Rocket Team's ethanol and LOX pressure-fed liquid rocket engine demonstrator, using 8 unlike impinging jet injectors, an Estes motor igniter, and a 1018C steel heat-sink chamber and nozzle producing 360 lbf of thrust in 5 seconds. Hot fired in May 2024.
- Phoenix Rocket Phoenix is a two-stage competition rocket designed and manufactured entirely during COVID times by MIT Rocket Team. Launched during IAP 2023, it reached 32,000 ft, setting a new team altitude record with both booster and sustainer motors igniting successfully and both stages recovered.
- Staging Demonstrator II Rocket Staging Demonstrator II is MIT Rocket Team's two-stage staging demonstrator that successfully reached 33,000 feet, demonstrating two-stage drag separation and second-stage sustainer ignition with improved fins and tracked center of gravity.
- Hermes III Rocket Hermes III is a single-semester solid-propellant high-power rocket built by MIT Rocket Team. Launched in early February 2020, it reached approximately 8,000 feet before fin failure at Mach 3.2.
- Raziel Rocket Raziel is MIT Rocket Team's 2017 Spaceport America Cup 10K COTS category entry featuring custom-built S-glass tubes, carbon fiber fins, an XRF sensor and rover payload, and dual-deploy recovery. It successfully launched to 10,204 feet and achieved 2nd place out of 46 teams.
Quantifiable outcome
- Phoenix rocket reached 32,000 ft altitude, setting new team record
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use MIT Rocket Team
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
MIT Rocket Team technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
MIT Rocket Team partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Blue OriginminorAerospace company sponsoring MIT Rocket Team, appearing in the sponsors section of the team website.
- MIT AeroAstrocoreMIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the home department of the Rocket Team, providing institutional support and resources.
- MIT Mechanical Engineering DepartmentcoreMIT Mechanical Engineering Department provides institutional support and potentially facilities/equipment for the team.
- MIT Edgerton CenterminorMIT Edgerton Center supports hands-on student projects and learning, providing resources for the Rocket Team.
- MIT FinboardminorMIT Finboard organization supporting student projects and initiatives at MIT.
- Agile Space IndustriesminorAerospace company specializing in propulsion that sponsors the Rocket Team.
- THE COOPminorMIT-affiliated organization appearing as a sponsor of the Rocket Team.
- SiftminorCompany sponsoring MIT Rocket Team, appearing in the sponsors section.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MIT Rocket Team competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Blue Origin: Established commercial launch provider and a current MIT Rocket Team sponsor. Operates broadly in the launch and propulsion space and is comparable as a vehicle-systems peer, though it is a commercial operator rather than a student team.
Direct peers
- Brown Space Engineering: Brown University's student rocketry team with comparable SRAD rocket and propulsion projects; similar Ivy-league engineering-talent pipeline and corporate-sponsor structure.
- Stanford Student Space Initiative (SSI): Stanford's interdisciplinary student-run space org developing rockets and small spacecraft; analogous talent base, sponsor model, and Bay-area aerospace alumni pipeline as MIT Rocket Team.
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Rocketry: Aviation/aerospace-focused university's collegiate rocketry team regularly competing at Spaceport America Cup — comparable in technical scope (solid and hybrid propulsion) and collegiate build/launch cadence.
- UC Berkeley Space Technologies and Rocketry (STARR): UC Berkeley's student rocketry org designing SRAD launch vehicles and competing at Spaceport America Cup — same student-built, competition-driven model with comparable propulsion and avionics divisions.
- Cal Poly CubeSat / Space Enterprises (SEDS): Cal Poly student rocketry and space systems program, regularly competing at Spaceport America Cup; aerospace-leaning school with similar build-fly-compete ethos to MIT Rocket Team.
- Purdue Space Program (PSPI): Long-running Purdue student rocketry program with multiple propulsion and launch projects — peer in scale, technical ambition, and corporate-sponsor engagement for collegiate spaceflight.
- Georgia Tech Rocketry / GT Aerospace Research & Engineering: Georgia Tech student rocketry organization that designs and launches high-power rockets for intercollegiate competitions — comparable engineering-school-affiliated competitor at the Spaceport America Cup level.
- University of Michigan MASA / Aerospace Engineering Team: Michigan's collegiate aerospace student organization that designs, builds, and launches high-altitude rockets — closely comparable in team size, propulsion focus, and competition participation.
- Cornell University Rocketry Team: Cornell's collegiate rocketry team that designs, builds, and flies high-powered rockets for Spaceport America Cup and other IREC events — directly comparable competitive peer in structure, funding model, and competition category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MIT Rocket Team social profiles
Digital presenceMIT Rocket Team financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MIT Rocket Team leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
MIT Rocket Team funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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MIT Rocket Team M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MIT Rocket Team
What does MIT Rocket Team do?
MIT Rocket Team is a student-run organization that designs, builds, and flies high-power collegiate rockets and rocket propulsion systems (solid motors and liquid engines) for participation in competitions such as the Spaceport America Cup 30K SRAD category. The team develops custom flight computers, two-stage drag separation systems, and dual-deploy recovery systems, with current projects Aurora (2025 competition entry) and Polaris (first launchable liquid engine demonstrator). All work is performed voluntarily by MIT students and funded through corporate sponsorships and donations.
Is MIT Rocket Team a public or private company?
MIT Rocket Team is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MIT Rocket Team founded?
MIT Rocket Team was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MIT Rocket Team based?
MIT Rocket Team is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does MIT Rocket Team make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorships and Donations.
Who are MIT Rocket Team's main competitors?
Blue Origin is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Brown Space Engineering, Stanford Student Space Initiative (SSI), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Rocketry, UC Berkeley Space Technologies and Rocketry (STARR), Cal Poly CubeSat / Space Enterprises (SEDS), Purdue Space Program (PSPI), Georgia Tech Rocketry / GT Aerospace Research & Engineering, University of Michigan MASA / Aerospace Engineering Team and Cornell University Rocketry Team.
Does MIT Rocket Team have an API?
No public API is recorded for MIT Rocket Team.
What industry is MIT Rocket Team in?
MIT Rocket Team's product category is Collegiate Rocketry / Student Aerospace Engineering. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAHAA, Guided Missile & Rocket Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMABAHAC, Rocket Motors, Propellants & Warhead Integration. Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.