Georgia Tech Students Are Joining the Space Race Through Student-Driven Space Programs

Two of Georgia Tech’s student-led aerospace organizations are pushing for the future of amateur rocket building.

The Ramblin’ Rocket Club. (Image courtesy of the Georgia Tech Ramblin’ Rocket Club.)

The Ramblin’ Rocket Club. (Image courtesy of the Georgia Tech Ramblin’ Rocket Club.)

Students from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) are driving the university’s core space programs to push for the future of student rocket engineering and development. The Yellow Jacket Space Program and the Ramblin’ Rocket Club both share their beginnings as small hobby groups comprising students passionate about aerospace technology.

The GT Yellow Jacket Space Program (YJSP) is joining the race to become the first college student team to design, build and launch a liquid-fuel rocket past the Kármán line, the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and space. In all, 160 students are currently involved in the program, with a number of them coming from various academic disciplines across GT.

The YJSP is part of the official GT space program and aims to give students access to application-based space exploration technologies and opportunities. The program is completely student led and has already produced three projects that are all geared toward developing the first student-built liquid rocket engine. This includes the This Is A Test (TIAT) avionics and controls testbed launch vehicle, the Yellow Jacket-1S (YJ-1S) subscale test article and the team’s first liquid-fueled engine, and the Subscale proof-of-concept liquid-fueled rocket. According to the members, the success of Subscale’s launch will “prove that we have the necessary concepts and structures to build a much larger rocket capable of reaching the Kármán line.”

The organization is currently divided into seven teams with four working on the rockets themselves, while the remaining three are responsible for ground support equipment. According to YJSP President Sam Kim, there is an estimated one- to two-year time line for each project. The team observes a particular process when working on its projects. The first stage involves the predesign stage where the engineering requirements and plans are identified. This is then followed by engineering design, testing, and redesign until they get it right. The program also conducts design reviews for its vehicles, with engineers from SpaceX, NASA, and Tesla providing feedback.

The Yellow Jacket Space Program parachute test. (Image courtesy of Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Space Program.)

The Yellow Jacket Space Program parachute test. (Image courtesy of Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Space Program.)

The YJSP is currently planning on upgrading its streaming capabilities to provide students with the opportunity to stay updated on their progress. The program is planning to conduct a static fire test of Subscale this coming October, in which the rocket’s engine will be fired at full thrust while the rocket is bolted down using large structures. This will test whether Subscale will be able to withstand the firing of the 800-pound engine.

The program has already received sponsorships from aerospace companies such as Hermeus and Lockheed Martin, which have ranged from anywhere between $1,000 and $20,000. Sponsors not only receive monthly updates on the projects but are also given access to the program’s résumé book as well as student volunteers during corporate events.

Alongside the YJSP is the Ramblin’ Rocket Club, another student-driven organization on the GT campus with a focus on aerospace engineering. The club hosts a variety of activities, including presentations, discussions on projects and space news, as well as build sessions and advanced rocketry meetings on aerospace design and engineering. The club also holds watch parties for space events, which it did for the most recent launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and the landing of the Perseverance on Mars.

The club recently faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Campus restrictions forced two of the four project teams, the Student Launch Initiative (USLI) and High Altitude Balloons (HAB), to go on hiatus. The USLI is being fulfilled in partnership with NASA engineers. The HAB is aiming to be a balloon capable of traveling around the globe and is one of the club’s long-term projects. The two other projects, Georgia Tech Experimental Rocketry (GTXR) and High Power Rocketry (HPR), are currently still in progress. The GTXR is set to be part of the international Spaceport America Cup rocketry competition. Meanwhile, HPR has experienced success with creating and launching high-power rockets, with group members receiving certifications from the National Association of Rocketry.

According to club president Steven Zhao, most of their workflow was shifted online with the students themselves handling the adjustment process, including requesting access to additional workspace for social distancing as well as a trailer for travel needs. “Everything is student led and student built. We mostly reach out to our club advisor and faculty when we’re looking for something specific to fit our needs on campus,” shared Zhao.

Similar to the YJSP, the GTXR team is currently working on a solid rocket with the aim of reaching the Kármán line. Zhao is anticipating that the USLI and HAB projects will generate renewed interest in the coming semester. They are also hoping that the HPR team will receive its Level 3 certifications from the National Association of Rocketry.