October Newsletter
Building Rockets
Rocketry Club’s focus this month has been working towards receiving L1 Certifications. We received ten L1 Kits early in October and have been building them throughout the month. The launch was originally set for October 13 but was delayed due to the Burn Ban in Oklahoma. For many members, this was their first time building their own rockets, so this was an important hands-on experience to prepare the club for building the competition rocket. The launch is now planned for November 9.
Applying for IREC
The application for the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition 2025 opened on October 21 and was due November 8. The club split into teams to address each prompt; we have a team for SRAD, COTS, Electronics, Payload, and Recovery. For the application, we planned how we will build each component of the rocket and wrote up descriptions of each component. This is only our plan, and much will be changed as we start building the rocket.
Payload Project
HRC has partnered with Dr. LoPresti, TU professor of electrical and computer engineering. Dr. LoPresti does research on hybrid RF/optical links between the ground and space-based platforms. He is currently working on an optical receiver designed for launch on a CubeSat for performing ground-to-space laser communication experiments. The Payload Project division of HRC got the chance to visit his lab to see his current project, to learn about fiber optics and their application in satellite communications. For the payload project, we will construct a 3-D printed container to carry an optical receiver and measure the effects of the rocket’s vibrations on the receiver’s alignment, which is critical to proper operation of the receiver. Although the mounting element should ideally maintain alignment between the optical components, vibrations and other forces that occur during launch may cause strains/stresses that distort the mounting element or displace slightly the optical components within the mounting element. The payload will allow for evaluation of the impact of a rocket launch on the optical alignment of the receiver, by measuring the power collection efficiency of the payload before launch and after recovery from the rocket.
Space Force Visit
Devin Garcia, Second Lieutenant in the United States Space Force, visited our club’s general body meeting on October 26th to talk about the US Space Force and his role in it. We learned about the mission of the US Space Force, and how it is distinct from NASA. Garcia also discussed the history and organizational structure of the US Space Force. We learned about the different types of satellites controlled by the Space Force, and Garcia’s work as a GPS satellite technician; he is responsible for the bus systems and the structure of the satellites, and well as coordinating the orbit of the satellites. He explained how GPS works as well as all the applications of GPS in the modern world. Garcia’s visit allowed club members to see where rocketry can take them in their career.
