April 1, 2016 – Jeremy Pedro (left) and Tom Halstead (seated, right) work on the liquid bi-propellant Lotus engine unit in the lab of the Boston University Rocket Propulsion Group. The engine is capable of 1500 lbf of thrust, and will help to launch the newly developed Starscraper rocket into space in the summer of 2017. The team is preparing the engine for an “hot fire” test scheduled for the weekend. “On a good night I like to get out of here around midnight, but most of the time it ends up being closer to 2-3a.m.,” Pedro said. “I would say there are around 10 to 15 active members that are almost always here. It’s a great place to hang out.” The Boston University team is in a tight race with the University of Southern California to be the first student designed and constructed rocket to reach space – or about 62 miles above the earth’s surface. ©Mike Schwarz