Pulchowk Engineering Students Successfully Develop Nepal’s First Liquid Rocket Engine

Kathmandu. Four fourth-year aerospace engineering students at Pulchowk Campus under the Institute of Engineering (IOE) have successfully developed and tested a liquid rocket engine, marking a major milestone in Nepal’s space technology research.

The engine was built by Sandesh Kunwar, Prabin Bhattarai, Raju Kumar Sah, and Shubham Ranabhat as part of their undergraduate final-year project.

While Nepal had previously seen limited success with solid and hybrid rocket engines, this is the first known successful development of a liquid rocket engine by Nepali students.

The team completed the project after nearly seven months of research and testing. According to team member Sandesh Kunwar, one of the biggest challenges was finding suitable materials within Nepal. “Study materials were available, but finding physical components that matched the design specifications was extremely difficult,” Kunwar said. 

A liquid rocket engine requires components capable of withstanding extremely high pressure. However, most pipes and fittings available in the local market were designed only for domestic use and could not handle rocket-level pressure. The team said they spent nearly a month searching for suitable pipes and fittings.

Students eventually collected mild steel pipes from scrap yards and local markets to construct the engine. Despite material limitations, they claim safety standards were not compromised.

“In most engine projects, repeated testing and corrections are necessary,” Kunwar said. “But our liquid engine worked successfully in its first test.”

So far, the team has conducted five successful static tests within the Pulchowk Campus premises. During the latest test, the engine burned continuously for five seconds. The test achieved a combustion efficiency of 94 percent and a specific impulse (ISP) of 213 seconds, indicating efficient fuel usage.

How does the Liquid Rocket Engine work? 

The engine operates using two separate tanks: one for fuel and another for oxidizer. Both substances are delivered under high pressure into a combustion chamber, where an injector converts the liquid into fine particles and mixes them for combustion.

A pyro igniter is then used to ignite the mixture. Once ignited, temperatures inside the engine can reach up to 3000 Kelvin, generating high-pressure gas. The gas is expelled through a nozzle at extremely high speed, producing thrust that pushes the rocket forward.

Successful Development Achieved With Limited Time and Budget 

Dr. Sudip Bhattarai, Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Pulchowk Campus, said the students achieved significant success within a short time and with limited resources.

“I expected this type of success to take at least two or three years,” Dr. Bhattarai said. “But the students completed the project in about six months with a budget of less than one thousand U.S. dollars.”

According to the team, around 850 U.S. dollars has been spent on the project so far.

Although the engine has been successfully tested on the ground, the students say further work is needed before it can be used in an actual rocket launch. Future improvements include increasing burn duration, reducing engine weight, enhancing thrust, and developing regenerative cooling technology to prevent overheating.

Currently, the engine uses mild steel, which may melt if exposed to prolonged combustion. The team hopes advanced cooling systems will allow the engine to operate for longer durations in future tests.

Kunwar said investment and government support will be essential for the next phase of development.

“This has become a large-scale project,” he said. “If we receive support and investment from the government, we want to continue developing this technology.”

Experts say the successful development of a liquid rocket engine could open possibilities for satellite launches, emergency supply delivery, drone technology, border monitoring, and high-altitude operations in the Himalayan region.

Dr. Bhattarai said liquid propulsion systems could significantly improve drone speed and flight performance at high altitudes. He added that Nepal needs a clear national policy and long-term investment in space technology research to turn such possibilities into reality.

“If the state prioritizes space technology and research, Nepal can eventually build rockets domestically for multiple applications,” he said.

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