By Sherry DiBari
The (ODRC) will compete this summer in the International Rocket Engineering Competition, the world’s largest intercollegiate rocket engineering conference and competition.
“This is the first time Old ֱ University will be represented in an international rocketry event,” said Brett Michal, ODRC student president.
The competition, managed by the , will take place at the Midland International Air and Space Port in Midland, Texas, June 9-14.
The competition will feature over 170 student teams from colleges and universities in 32 countries, launching rockets to altitudes of 10,000 and 30,000 feet.
In January, ODRC students began constructing “Reign,” a 10-foot, 50-pound rocket with an all-fiberglass body and an aluminum-tipped nose cone, to compete in the 10K Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) category.
Rockets must carry a payload of at least 4.4 pounds, including a required GPS and barometric pressure altimeter. ODU’s rocket will also feature a video camera to capture live footage for the Live Rocket Video Challenge.
Judging criteria include height of the launch, build and design quality of the rocket, a technical report and poster presentation.
Rockets in the 10K category must reach at least half of the 10,000-foot altitude goal.
“Judging criteria are specific to how closely teams reach the target altitude. Going over or below will cause teams to lose points,” explained Michal.
The Rocketry Club was founded by Michal, John Burkholder and Douglas “Bucky” Mason III. The trio, who met in a Mechanics of Fluids class, bonded over their shared rocketry certifications and passion for aerospace engineering.
They organized the club, which is open to all majors, in January 2023. There are currently around 52 members, with 15-20 actively involved.
“From the beginning, our mission has been to provide students with opportunities to learn, innovate and collaborate in rocketry, and to represent ODU on a larger stage within the aerospace community,” Michal said.
The group meets twice a week in ODU’s M-Lab to build rockets, expand their knowledge of the industry and network with guest speakers.
Many members pursue rocketry certifications through the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) or the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA). Once their rockets are complete, the students launch them at sites operated by the .
“The certifications represent a student’s ability to design, build and safely launch high-power rockets,” Michal said.
Michal believes the club fills an important gap at the University.
“Having a rocketry club at ODU is essential for staying competitive with other major universities like Virginia Tech, UVA and JMU, all of which have well-established and highly regarded rocketry programs,” he said.
Michal has first-hand experience with the rocketry competitions – he volunteered as a competition judge at the Spaceport America Cup Competition in 2023 and 2024.
“The experience exposed me to the level of dedication required and the significant funding necessary to compete at this level,” he said.
Judging also connected him with Brett Bachman, president of the Albuquerque Rocket Society, who agreed to serve as the team’s flyer of record – a TRA-certified designated team member responsible for overseeing the rocket during competition.
Bachman, whose rockets have accumulated over 1,000,000 feet of altitude across multiple flights, has played a key role in guiding the team through the competition’s regulations.
Michal believes the competition will be a transformative experience for the team.
“The International Rocket Engineering Competition is a gathering of top-tier student teams from around the world, watched closely by major aerospace companies and industry leaders,” Michal said. “It allows us to network with industry leaders, collaborate with peers from other universities, and gain insights that can only be found in an environment of this caliber.”
Sponsors for the project include Onshape, a modeling software company, and Auxiliary Systems Incorporated, which assisted in cutting the rocket’s fins.
Financial support for constructing the rocket has been provided by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, ODU Student Government Association (SGA), the Batten College of Engineering and Technology and ODU’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
In order to help cover travel expenses for up to 10 members and to purchase additional materials needed to build the rocket, the team has launched a campaign.
Oktay Baysal, the ODRC’s faculty advisor, had high praise for the organization.
“If any aerospace program among Virginia universities were to undertake such a bold student-led project, it would have to be ODU,” said Baysal, a professor, Eminent Scholar and former Batten College dean. “With two nearby NASA centers and military installations, the only missing link was an enthusiastic team of students led by Brett Michal.”