Hello! I'm Thomas Booska, a junior mechanical engineering student at Arizona State University, in Tempe, AZ.
Throughout the last 3 years, I have worked both on the amateur level as well as professionally, with the operation of professional LOx/LNG propellant feed systems at Blue Origin and HTP/Jet-A and GOx/Jet-A at Physical Sciences Inc., and amateur LOx/IPA propulsion/feed systems at ASU, with an emphasis on propulsion test operations and cryogenic fluid systems. I have found a deep love and appreciation for developing and executing test operations in development environments, bringing up new systems and engines through their first phases of life, and large-scale fluid systems for rocket propulsion and renewable energy applications is where my professional interests lie.
In college, I have devoted my free time to advancing amateur solid rocketry, through developing simplistic design and manufacturing methods of high-speed, low cost, and low part-count solid rockets (Mach 3+). Additionally, in an effort to control variables and increase performance, I have led ASU's solid propulsion research group in the design and manufacturing of propellants and solid rocket motors, and conducted 20+ successful SRM firings to date. In my time at ASU, I have conducted 17 solid rocket launches, accrued more than 200,000 feet of cumulative altitude, and broken the Mach 3 barrier on 5 different occasions. I have centered my projects and style of work around the simplification and vertical integration of home-built rockets, with the goal of reducing costs, and increasing launch cadence, reliability, performance, and accessibility.
For any contact, both personal and professional, feel free to reach out using my LinkedIn, Instagram, or by email, at thomasstevenbooska@gmail.com.
Recent Developments
On Sep. 20, Dominique Sun (Mech. Eng. @ UC Berkeley) and myself flew "Pringles Propellant Flavor," a 3" diameter sub-minimum diameter performance flight vehicle to 29,000 feet and Mach 3.3. My primary contribution is the motor (custom APCP) and fin assembly (hand-made CFRP), while the majority of the vehicle was built by Dominique, and exceeded known records at UC Berkeley for rocket speed, acceleration, and altitude
As the ASU liquid propulsion test operations lead, I recently oversaw the test of our 350lbf LOx/IPA system, which completed a nominal hotfire of a liquid rocket engine for the first time in ASU history. The thrust and pressure reached nominal design points, and test operations were executed as expected.
I got bored, and had extra AP. To remedy that, I made a blue-flame solid propellant that kind of cooks. 75/7680 load next???