In June 2022, SEB successfully completed thel flight and recovery of LAD-8, the world’s first fully 3D-printed rocket of its scale. The vehicle reached just over 8,000 feet above ground level and a top speed of 850 ft/s. In addition to providing a recovery system that supports a high degree of mission reliability, LAD-8 also served to validate a revolutionary way of manufacturing rocket airframes using multi-jet fusion (MJF) 3D-printing technology. 

Featured on the Berkeley Mechanical Engineering website!

10,100 Feet

TOP Altitude

7.21 Feet

Rocket Height

LAD 8.1, while utilizing many of the same airframe components as LAD-8, featured redesigned lightweight couplers and introduced a few quality of life improvements that made setup easier. It was launched in the Mojave Desert in September 2022.

 Unfortunately, LAD-8.1 suffered a mid-air disassembly at an altitude of a few hundred feet, leading to our parachutes deploying prematurely and severely limiting the rocket’s apogee. We’ve traced this failure to a faulty hatch with slightly melted shear pins, which opened early due to the aerodynamic forces the rocket experienced in flight.

3,800 Feet

TOP Altitude

7.21 Feet

Rocket Height