June 11, 2013
The Longhorn Rocket Association (LRA), a student-run amateur rocketry group at The University of Texas at Austin, has refocused its mission. While conducting a series of rocket launches throughout the academic year, team members have taken an important step to not only build rockets, but to strengthen their knowledge base to build high-power, more successful rockets. The team has spent the past year pursuing certifications to build better rockets than ever before.
The big step has enhanced the organization’s mission to improve the aerospace engineering undergraduate student experience by applying classroom knowledge toward designing, building and launching their own rockets.
Throughout the year, LRA has launched multiple low and high-powered rockets at events hosted by the Austin Area Rocketry Group (AARG).
“We decided to launch with AARG because they launch at a high impulse field. We can launch rockets as high as 10,000 feet, so we are able to choose from a variety of motor sizes,” certification group leader Joel Chambers said.
The Austin Area Rocketry Group is the local chapter of the National Association of Rocketry and one of the local prefectures of the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA), which focuses on high-powered rockets and research motors. All members of the LRA are also members of the TRA.
“We needed to launch with a national organization for high-power certification purposes. Vendors won’t provide teams with high impulse motors unless they are certified at a certain level. Before this launch, we drove out to West Texas because there was a larger area to launch from and they would sponsor our projects. With certified team leads, we can now sponsor our own projects. And being part of a team that is successful, certified and committed will build a strong community,” Chambers said.
There are many benefits to being certified including learning about composite material techniques, aerodynamics, design techniques and leadership development.
While members are not required to be certified, the influx of experienced team members has increased the quality of the team high-powered projects. They are now able to use standard high-power rocket parts that carry over to multiple projects.
The increase in certified members has also allowed the team to take on more complex projects.
“You start out with something like a single deploy rocket then move up to a dual deploy rocket,” Chambers said. “Then you move forward and do parallel stage rockets or alternate recovery methods. Once you can make a rocket that doesn’t blow up, you can put expensive payloads on that. But you can’t make a complex rocket without the foundation to build a strong rocket. Being certified is key to a strong foundation.”
Since the team leaders are not the only students with a strong knowledge base, each team member is able to actively engage in the design and building process, rather than doing busy work like sanding foam. Many first year students have received high-level certifications and have become a vital part of building high power rockets.
“We can turn our freshmen and sophomore into leaders now that they have a stronger knowledge base,” Chambers said. “In prior years, our knowledge base left when our seniors graduated. But now we’re transferring knowledge to ensure a strong team that will have the ability to continue doing more complex projects in the future.”
Beyond the rocketry, LRA provides students with the unique opportunity to develop leadership skills and bring their textbook learning to life.
“We build on our knowledge of aerodynamics and structures to create rockets,” Chambers said. “It gives us a new way to see the practical application of classroom theory.”
