BYU-Idaho’s rocket team is aiming high this year. BYU-Idaho Rocket Dynamics is a student society. This explosive group started back in 2013 when they competed in their first tournament. Now the team has its eyes set for an international tournament in New Mexico this year.
The team is made up of six divisions. The divisions include payload, propulsion, manufacturing, structure design, recovery and avionics.
“Mainly, we study rocketry,” said Jacob Mills, student lead over the propulsion division. “We are focused on the construction and the mechanics behind a 10,000-foot launching rocket.”
Mills said there are high expectations when a student joins the society. He said he was spending multiple hours a day just trying to accomplish what the team needed. “It’s very intensive,” he said. “A lot of what we do is beyond the scope of the classes that we have here. For example, with propulsion we are designing a rocket motor from the ground up.”
Rocket competitions are held around the country, including the tournament in New Mexico. More than 200 schools from across the nation attend the bigger competitions. Each team can consist of up to 30 people.
Anyone is welcome to join the group. They can use all the help they can get. If you are seriously interested or just want to watch the magic happen, head over to the Austin Building in Room 202 on Thursdays at 2 p.m.