Nicholas Gloria has extensive experience leading propulsion and airframe teams for rocketry competitions. Some of his accomplishments include co-founding the Stanford Student Space Initiative propulsion team where he helped develop a liquid-fueled engine, and leading the Michigan Aeronautical Science Association's hybrid rocket motor team which won several competitions. He has also led the design of multiple rocket competition entries involving composite airframe construction, parachute systems, and payload integration. Additionally, Gloria has experience conceptualizing small satellite designs such as a water tank prototype and simulating plasma thruster performance.

1. Projects Portfolio
Nicholas Gloria
September 2018

2. Stanford Student Space Initiative
PropulsionTeam
Involvement: Co-Founder (2017-present)
• Liquid engine – kerosene and nitrous oxide
• 10-lbm payload to 10,000 ft capability
• 350 lbf thrust, 185 s Isp (demonstrated)
3D-Printed Inconel Injector
Engine Qualification Test

3. Michigan Aeronautical Science Association
(MASA): Hybrid Rocket Motor
Involvement: PropulsionTeam Lead (2015-16), Advisor
and Performance Analysis (2016-17)
• Hybrid motor – paraffin wax fuel and nitrous oxide
• 2016 – 2nd Place Advanced category at Intercollegiate
Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC)
• 2017 – Inaugural Spaceport America Cup winner
• Performance (2016-17):
• Specific Impulse: 203 s, Max.Thrust: 945 lbf,
Impulse: 7200 lbf*s

4. Michigan Aeronautical Science Association (MASA):
2015 IREC (Competition) Entry I
Involvement: AirframeTeam Lead
• 7,000 ft apogee
• 25% mass reduction from previous year
• First scratch-built parachutes
• Modular ballast-fin system for altitude
precision

5. MASA: 2015 IREC (Competition) Entry II
Involvement: AirframeTeam Lead (for design and start of
manufacturing)
• First MASA supersonic, 23,000-ft attempt
• Student-built composite airframe, parachutes
• Flight: destabilization at Mach 1

6. MASA: 2014 IREC (Competition) Entry
Involvement: AerodynamicsTeam Member
• 11,000 ft apogee
• Student-built, composite airframe (commercial
motor)
• Camera bay payload
• Designed von Karman nose cone, trapezoidal fins by
drag/altitude-optimization (in team setting)

7. SmallSatWaterTank
Involvement:Team Lead
• Non-hazardous propellant
• Low-pressure design (<= 1.0
atm)
• Bladder mitigates slosh
• Conceptual design, component
prototyping

8. Research Project:
CubeSat PlasmaThruster Simulation
• Adapted astrophysical
simulation for plasma
thruster
• Developed algorithm to
“clean” magnetic field
data for simulation
• Goal: analyze magnetic
nozzle performance
Note: Metric units (m, s, m/s) used
Hydrodynamic Jet: SideView