Building rockets from scratch, students learn engineering
Released: December 13, 2005
WHITEWATER – It’s not just about whose rocket can go the highest, but what team can use their knowledge of physics to predict their rocket’s path most accurately. With little to no experience in engineering, that is exactly what four University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students will do in the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) Student Rocket Design Competition this spring.
“The competition gives students the chance to use the principles from class in a hands-on way,” said senior Heidi Gneiser. “As a bonus, we get to meet like-minded students from other schools in Wisconsin and share ideas about engineering and design.”
Given only a motor and an altimeter, the students will create a design, purchase parts and calculate flight patterns for their rocket. Although the UW-Whitewater students are not chock full of engineering experience, they view the competition as an opportunity to learn from both trial and error and the competing schools, like the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that specialize in research and engineering.
Gneiser said, “I’m excited and nervous. I’ve never built a rocket before, but I think that as a team we can pool our knowledge and make a great rocket.”
Senior Adam Kuhn said he thinks the team’s minimal rocket experience could be a blessing in disguise. “We may come at the competition with a fresh viewpoint and design."
In addition to Gneiser and Kuhn, UW-Whitewater’s team includes senior Jeff Polak and senior Brian Morrisson. Assistant Professor Steven Sahyun is the team’s advisor and will help them with paperwork and rocket construction.
“It’s really a student-led initiative,” Sahyun said. “Any time a group of students gets together for a project, it is an extremely valuable learning experience. Extracurricular activities are where a lot of learning takes place.”
The team also has an industry partner, Orbitec, to help develop the rocket. Orbitec is an aerospace research and product development firm in Madison that is frequently contracted by NASA. Between the four students, and some help from their faculty and industry advisors, they will determine a rocket design, write a budget proposal to be approved by the WSGC, construct the rocket, give a pre-launch presentation and conduct the rocket launch. The rocket’s launch height must be within a designated range, have a fully functional parachute and land on a predetermined target.
“It’s hard enough getting the rocket to go up, but getting it to come down where you want it to is a big challenge,” Sahyun said.
Rocket modeling software will allow the students to view on a computer how different specifications such as weight, fin size and cone shape will effect the rocket. “They get to model how the ideal rocket should be, then build the rocket according to those specifications,” Sahyun said. “The main challenge I see is that they are only given one engine, so they can’t test the rocket. It must work the first time.”
Launch dates have not been determined, but even in the initial planning stages, the UW-Whitewater team is anticipating what the results of their project will be.
Of 12 total teams competing from various universities around the state, a first place prize of $5,000 will be awarded based on proximity to the pre-determined target, design analysis, oral presentation and assessment of data results. Second and third place will receive $2,500 and $1,000 respectively.
- Cassandra Sura,suracc09@uww.edu
