On November 21st, 2020 the UCI Rocket Project traveled to the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) test site to perform its second static test fire to verify the characteristics of the Preliminary Test Engine (PTE). This test fire also proved the functionality and efficiency of the Cold Brew mobile test stand for the first time. Thanks to Cold Brew, the time needed for set up and preparation was reduced from our previous static test fire, going from 11 hours to 7 hours. However, since the nearby fueling station closed due to the pandemic, we spent a considerable amount of time driving to an operational station to fill a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Dewar. Sadly, the test fire was unsuccessful as the Liquid Oxygen (LOX) did not flow when conducting the engine fire. This lead to only LNG burning and a large fire from our engine without any significant thrust. The issue we found was due to our LOX valve is not rated for the pressures we were applying and so did not operate as required. Although we did not have a proper engine test, we learned quite a bit about our system and procedures to improve upon in the future. Some of these items include: Filling the LNG Dewar on route to FAR, developing a better main valve system, and implementing Aerogel insulation to our propellant tanks. We plan to be back at FAR soon to perform a successful test fire
