 Fond du Lac rocket launch at a past competition |
Tennessee Tech competition rocket lifting off |
2021-2022 Space Grant (in-the-) Midwest High-Power
Rocketry Competition - the "Return to Flight: Fleet
Challenge"
A general announcement and
a competition handbook are posted below. More
details will be provided at the informational /
kick-off telecon at 7 p.m. Central Time on 9/20/21
(repeated at 7 p.m. Central Time on 1/13/2022).
The
Minnesota Space Grant Consortium (MnSGC) announces its
intention to run the Space Grant (in-the-) Midwest
High-Power Rocketry Competition. The fly-off
will be held in Minnesota, but this competition is open
to college/university student teams from across the
nation during the 2021-2022 academic year. This
competition is an opportunity for students to design
and construct high-power rockets to be launched in May
2022 from a Tripoli high-power rocket club launch site
just north of Minneapolis.
Summary Description (see handbook for Extensive Description): In this competition, college-student teams will design and construct a set of (fairly-low-cost) high-power rockets (either five rockets (a “fleet”) or else three rockets (a “flotilla”) or else eight rockets (an “armada”)). These rockets are to differ from one another in as many ways as possible, to illustrate the ability of the team to successfully demonstrate a wide variety of rocketry styles and build techniques. Every fleet (or flotilla) (or armada) must include one “core” team-built kit-rocket flown on a specific motor (see details in handbook) for “head-to-head” competition. This “core” rocket will be accompanied by four (or two) (or seven) additional rockets, some team-built and some individual-built (for certification). Every “flotilla” must include one individual-built rocket for a Level 1 certification attempt. Every “fleet” must include one individual-built rocket for a Level 1 certification attempt and one individual-built rocket by a different team member for a Level 2 certification attempt. Every “armada” must include two individual-built rockets by different team members for Level 2 certification attempts. To keep costs down, we encourage all rockets to be relatively low cost – perhaps in the $100 to $250 range (aside from motor, motor case and closure, and electronics). In addition to diversity or rocketry styles & building techniques, points will be awarded for “most effective use of (fleet) theme,” so rocket names, paint jobs, etc. should be coordinated. Note that all fabrication work on the rockets, except for possibly machining of plastic and/or metal parts, must be performed by students.
Logistical questions may be directed to James
Flaten, MN Space Grant, U of MN, flate001@umn.edu.
Technical questions may be directed to Gary Stroick,
Tripoli MN, president@offwegorocketry.com.
INDUSTRY SPONSORS:
- none this year
IMPORTANT DATES:
·
Kick-off/informational
telecon: Monday, Sept. 20, 2021 (repeated Thursday,
Jan. 13, 2022) from 7 to 8 p.m. CST (contact
James Flaten, flate001@umn.edu, for call-in
information)
·
Garner your state’s Space
Grant sponsorship and submit a (Non-binding) “Notice
of Intent to Compete” by Oct. 1, 2021
·
$400 Registration Fee†
is due by Jan. 31, 2022, of which up to $100 will be
applied toward purchase of competition motors
·
In-person Competition
dates: Presentations & Safety Checks on
Saturday, 5/21/22** (mid-afternoon &
evening) then flights on Sunday, 5/22/22**
(all day, plus an evening banquet)
·
Alternate (Weather-delay)
flight date: Monday, 5/23/22** (as long
as needed)
† Schools that entered
teams in the COVID-aborted 2019-2020 Space Grant
Midwest High-Power Rocketry Competition may elect to
have their previous registration applied to this new
competition (or else to next year’s competition),
but may not extend registration credit beyond
2022-2023.
** If Minnesota has a
particularly wet spring, the competition dates might
need to shift. This will be announced in as far in
advance as is practical. See details in handbook.
DOCUMENT ARCHIVE FOR THE 2021-2022 "RETURN TO FLIGHT: FLEET CHALLENGE"
- Announcement of Competition (circulated August 31, 2021):
- Handbook for Competition (v2 - some minor edits, posted September 20, 2021):
- Slides and link to recording from Informational / Kick-off Telecon
- Non-binding "Notice of Intent to Compete" Form (MODIFIED 9/17/2021) (due Oct. 1, 2021 - send form by e-mail to James Flaten, MN Space Grant, flate001@umn.edu)
- Reports by a past year's winning team (UMD) - optional reading
- Instructions for paying the $400 registration fee (if your team isn't using a pre-paid fee from 2019) - due Jan. 31, 2022
- "Declaration of Competition Attendance" Template (due Feb. 11, 2022) - submit by e-mail to James Flaten flate001@umn.edu
- Information about hotels and camping options, plus stores (like hardware stores) and other "local attractions"
Last Modified: 2022-02-15 at 16:37:28 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation