My name is Caleb Farrelly and I'm a Master's Student at Cornell University studying Aerospace Engineering.
I have extensive experience in rocket propulsion, CNC machining, and engineering leadership. Most of my time at Cornell was spent on the Cornell Rocketry Team, where I started the team's hybrid rocket propulsion program, and then lead the entire team, culminating in winning 3rd place at the 2025 IREC competition. Although my specialization is in Propulsion, I have a passion for all aspects of engineering, and I have been recently exploring electronics design and development.
Interactive Liquid Rocket Engine Assembly
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Engine Type: Ethanol/N2O regeneratively cooled bipropellant
Thrust: 1,250 lbf - Cornell's first liquid bipropellant engine
Analysis: Fluent CFD and ANSYS structural/thermal modeling
Manufacturing: AlSi10Mg additive manufacturing
Role: Hybrid Propulsion Lead
Duration: One semester (clean sheet to cold-flow testing)
Capability: Test hybrid rocket engines producing up to 1000 lbf of thrust
Key Achievement: Led creation of hybrid propulsion test stand from preliminary design to successful cold flow testing in one semester
Successful hotfire of 260 lbf subscale hybrid engine
260 lbf Engine: Scaled test to validate key components (injector, liner, nozzle)
950 lbf Engine: Full-scale design with re-engineered injector and retention ring
Simulation Accuracy: MATLAB script predicted peak thrust within 10 lbf of measured value
Manufacturing: CNC machined over 40 unique components on 3- and 4-axis HAAS mills (175+ hours)
Heat Testing 3D Printed Novel Ceramic Crucible
Personal Projects: Supersonic 3D printed rocket, rocketry outreach program, advanced 3D printing research
Technical Work: Novel ceramic 3D printing, high-temperature material processing, rapid prototyping optimization
Educational Impact: 70+ students engaged in STEM through hands-on rocketry program
Early Engineering & Design Work
Foundation Projects: Early engineering projects and design work from high school
Skills Development: CAD design, electronics, programming, hands-on fabrication
Technical Growth: Project management, documentation, problem-solving, teamwork
Propulsion Systems: Hybrid and liquid rocket engine design, combustion analysis, regenerative cooling, injector design
Project Leadership: Team management, technical oversight, timeline coordination, resource allocation
Engineering Analysis: CFD simulation, structural analysis, thermal modeling, performance optimization
Manufacturing: Design for manufacturability, CNC programming, quality control, process optimization
I'm always interested in discussing engineering projects and opportunities in aerospace and mechanical engineering. Feel free to reach out!