Etherion Rocket Engine

Who are we ?

The Innovative Propulsion Laboratory (IPL) (https://innovativepropulsionlab.fr/en/)is a team of passionate aerospace engineering students founded in 2020. Driven by a desire to master rocket engine design, we spent three years developing various concepts without actual production. In May 2025, we became the first French student association to test a rocket engine entirely by ourselves: Arrax. 

What we did

To be able to test our first rocket engine, we built a test bench allowing us to test our rocket engine. This intricate system includes 23 sensors, 17 solenoid valves, 40 meters of aluminum profile, and over 700 components—235 of which are unique. It’s a complex assembly that will serve as the foundation for all our future tests.

In May 2025, we ignite Arrax and become the first the first French student association to design, build, and test a rocket engine independently.

Etherion Project

Building on this success, we are now working on Etherion, our next-generation rocket engine. Designed to deliver 1.5 kN of thrust, Etherion will implement a Chamber–Saddle–Jacket (CSJ) design, an innovative approach that significantly reduces costs (up to 60% less than 3D-printed alternatives) and improves maintainability. 

Here is an exploded view of Etherion :

As the Etherion project involves the development of highly complex components—such as the combustion chamber and the injector—we are actively seeking sponsorship to help us meet these technical challenges. These parts are critical to the success of the engine, but their design and manufacturing require significant resources. With your support, we would be able to secure the necessary expertise and materials to bring this ambitious project to life.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like further details about our work

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. 

Best regards, 

Paul Chenu-Devely Project Lead – Etherion Innovative Propulsion Laboratory (IPL) 

+33 (0)6 30 13 82 75

polo@pepins.net