BYU Rocketry hosts two annual competitions and is home to three major teams. Below are descriptions of our projects.
The BYU Rocketry Student Launch Competition allows students to form teams of two or three students, design a custom rocket, and fly it to a target altitude. Teams use an identical rocket motor and measure the altitude their rocket reaches using an altimeter, a device that measures the difference in air pressure both at ground level, and at the peak height of the rocket’s flight.
The National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) offer a certification process which permits individuals to purchase and use rocket motors whose physical constraints and performance exceed traditional model rocket boundaries. Rocket motors which exceed model rocketry motor definitions and the models that use these motors are collectively referred to as high power rocketry. Level 1 allows the purchase and use of H and I impulse class motors; solid and hybrid. Certain F and G motors may also require Level 1 certification for purchase and use.
BYU Rocketry team members are encouraged to certify with these organizations. In order to certify, students must fly and recover a rocket with little to no damage. The certification process allows students to learn the basics of high power rocketry, acquire hands-on experience designing and building rockets, and ultimately become qualified for advanced club teams and projects.
BYU Rocketry’s Advanced Launch Competition allows returning BYU Rocketry members to continue advancing in the field of High Power Rocketry. Having already participated in the annual BYU Rocketry Student Launch Competition and/or achieved a certification through the National Association of Rocketry or Tripoli Rocketry Association, students design, build, and launch a payload to 5000 feet in teams. Participants have the opportunity to develop new technical skills, use new tools and materials, work on teams, and gain experience necessary for advanced club projects.
The BYU Rocketry High Power Team is a competitive team selected from experienced members of our association. The team competes each year in the 10K commercial category at Spaceport America Cup in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The team has previously taken second place at the competition and the 2019 team’s Cold Gas Propulsion GNC Payload, “Wind Rider,” won an honorable mention at the cup’s SDL payload challenge.
The BYU Rocketry Junior High Power Team allows experienced members of our association to develop skills related to high-power rocketry by designing and building a rocket to launch to a height of 10,000 feet. Members of the Junior Team gain experience in teamwork, design and analysis, manufacturing, and professional documentation, and are prepared for intercollegiate competition on the High Power Team.
The BYU Rocketry Alka-Seltzer Team builds alka-rockets, which are rockets propelled by the chemical reaction between alka-seltzer tablets and water. BYU currently holds the world record for altitude reached by an alka-rocket: 883 feet, more than double the previous record. BYU’s team competes at the annual Bayer Alka-Rocket Challenge.
