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Aidan Friedman
Mechanical Engineering Student at Cornell University
(703) 939-0424
Projects
Mechanically Actuated Valve (MAV)
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Designed, tested, and integrated a new oxidizer valve actuation mechanism for the Cornell Rocketry Team's 2026 competition flight vehicle.
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Reduction of mechanism profile allowed concentric integration of run tank port, valve, & injector port, eliminating the flex hose connection between the valve and injector required on the previous year’s vehicle.
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Booster section length reduced by 6 in due to more compact design.
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Reliably actuated to facilitate dozens of coldflow tests, 2x wet dress rehearsals, and launch in June 2026.
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2025 Flight MAV
2026 Flight MAV
Volta III Hybrid Rocket Engine
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Successfully co-led Cornell Rocketry's propulsion team in optimizing the Volta N₂O-HTPB hybrid rocket engine, increasing its peak thrust from 300 lbf to 1370 lbf.
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Strategized and executed a rigorous testing campaign, completing 4 successful hotfires in 1 semester.
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Completed numerous hybrid test stand upgrades, including the addition of a run tank vent valve and fluid system modifications to allow for a higher N₂O mass flowrate into the injector.
1370 lbf peak thrust ■ 19,908 Ns impulse ■ 7.88 s burn time
Hybrid Fill Station
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Independently designed, built, tested, and operated hybrid fill station to support purge, oxidizer fill, and launch of Cornell Rocketry’s first ever hybrid rocket.
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Owned full launch CONOPS, detailing precise valve actuation sequences for purge, fill, quick-disconnect retraction, vent, and launch.
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Operated fill station to support wet dress rehearsals as well as test launch in April 2025 and competition launch in June 2025.
Andromeda 2024-2025
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Led the integration of a new hybrid propulsion system into Cornell Rocketry's 2024-2025 launch vehicle, Andromeda.
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Owned Andromeda's integration with all GSE.
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Placed 3rd at the 2025 International Rocketry Engineering Competition in the 10k Hybrid category.
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