The Roadrunner Rocketeers are blasting stereotypes, and reaching new heights with competition rocket.
SAN ANTONIO — A blend of calculations and creativity led a group of UTSA students to design a rocket that will take flight during an upcoming competition hosted by NASA.
The NASA Student Launch Challenge will take place the first weekend of May in Huntsville, Alabama. It tasks students from across the country to design, build, test and launch a high-powered rocket carrying a scientific or engineering payload. Mechanical engineering students Kimberly Tijerina, Makayla Watts, Madeline De La Garza and Aubrey Fuchs teamed up last fall when they submitted their proposal to compete as part of their senior design project.
“We knew we had submitted some really good quality work, and we were very excited to hear back, and so when we found out it was immediately into the next steps,” said Madeline De La Garza, UTSA senior.
Along with taking on the team name Roadrunner Rocketeers, the all-female quartet also embraced the hefty workload.
“I think a good starting point would be 40 hours a week, outside of school and work so that’s like an additional 40 hours on top of everything that we are doing. Honestly, I think that’s a lowball. I think we have put a lot of work in this,” laughed De La Garza.
After their proposal was approved, the group said they drafted up a preliminary design review for two sub-scale rockets, built them and then put them to the test. Then at the start of the spring semester they submitted their critical design review to build a full-scale rocket. Their final development is nine feet in length, and weighs about 40 pounds when its motor is attached.
“We realized that certain designs weren’t going to work and certain things weren’t commercially available for us to buy so we had to change it and reiterate on that design a couple of times,’ said Aubrey Fuchs, UTSA senior.
The goal is to launch it 5,500 feet on competition day.
So far, they have tested the rocket three times, and each time has been a success. However, the real test will take place at the challenge on May 3 when they are set to launch it before other students competing. The group along with their instructor said they are the only all-female team from Texas, and the first from UTSA going to his particular competition.
“This is the first time, fingers crossed, that we’re going to Huntsville to launch in this NASA Student Launch Competition. There had been at least one group before, they submitted proposal, they got accepted and there was a lot of attention around it but then it was 2020 and everything got canceled that spring,’ said Dr. Daniel Pineda, UTSA assistant professor of mechanical, aerospace and industrial engineering.
“So really this is like the first shot that we feel like we got to prove that we can do it, and I would like to make it a regular thing for us to go every year.”
Nervous was the word that came to mind when asked how they will feel on launch day, but they remain confident in the work they have put in so far. They hope to set a standard in what is usually male driven specialty at the university.
“It’s kind of a stereotype that women aren’t as good as men, and so we all have that extra determination to prove something and I feel like that will motivate each other to do better and that helps the product be better,” said Makayla Watts, UTSA senior.
To help the team get to Huntsville, a fundraiser is ongoing to cover their travel expenses.
To watch the launch live, visit this link.
Our team here at KENS 5 wishes them the best of luck!