Florida Rocket Lab, a student team at the University of Florida Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has successfully designed, built and hotfired “Sparrow,” a proven 550 lbf bipropellant rocket engine. The result marks a historic milestone for the university, as it completed a series of full-duration hotfires with zero failures, the first in UF history. Leveraging this momentum, Florida Rocket Lab will use Sparrow to launch “Mirage,” UF’s first liquid rocket, in late May at the FAR-OUT competition in the Mojave Desert. The department is proud to share the results of years of student-led design, manufacturing, testing, and endurance. Check out the full story directly from members of FRL as they explain much more about the process and their journey in making this historic moment. Full story on UF NEWS student perspectives: https://news.ufl.edu/2026/03/rocket-lab/
“The most important thing we’ve learned is that nothing is impossible, provided you put in the time and effort. No matter how insurmountable a task seems, a hundred hours later, it often seems silly that we were once so intimidated by it. We didn’t even know how to code or what a matrix was when we got to college, and now we write software and build rockets for a living. This project has forced us to develop real leadership habits — coordinating people, keeping momentum and representing the group. It has made us more mature and professional engineers.”
Design & Editing by: Christi Swiers
Marketing & Communications Specialist
UF Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering