OCTOBER 2024

October 12, 2024 by Austin Bennett

OSGC NASA GRANT PRESENTATION, FUNDRAISING, AND MORE

Welcome

Welcome to the GFU Rocket Team's first ever newsletter! We would like to show our appreciation for your support, financial assistance, or even curiousity for our team by sharing with you what our team has been up to lately and periodically. So strap in, close the hatch, and let's launch this NEWsletter!

OSGC NASA Grant Presentation

On Friday, October 11, 2024 Nathan Hayward, Evan Hatch and Austin Bennett presented the Myrtle I Rocket Project at the Oregon Space Grant Consortium's (OSGC) Fall Symposium. The event took place at Oregon State University's LaSells Stewart Center in Corvallis, Oregon. There were 32 total projects presented at the event, and a 1 hour keynote address by NASA Entry Systems Senior Technologist Ethiraj Venkatapathy. This was a very great event for us to be at, and we were able to network with other students working on similar projects, practice our public speaking during our slideshow presentation, and take a step back to appreciate the hard work our team has put in over the past year. The OSGC and supporting staff were very accommodating and welcoming to us, and we appreciate all the hard work they put into making this opportunity possible. We also would like to thank the OSGC and NASA for their support and financial assistance towards the Myrtle I Rocket Project, as it would have been very difficult if not impossible to make happen without them.

VIEW OUR POSTER HERE

Fundraising

In other news, our fundraising campaign has kicked off, and we have received $6,100 (Updated 11/23/2024). Our goal for the year is $35,000, and is broken down into categories below.

-Solid Motor Rocket Project Materials

-Myrtle I (Liquid Fuel Rocket) Test Stand, Test & Launch

-Payload Research, Design and Manufacturing

-Competition Fees (FAR 10 Cents per Foot Re-attempt (CA) & International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC))

-Team Gear & Other Purchases

-New Member High Power Rocketry Certification Kits

-Travel, Lodging and Food at Competitions (3 Days for FAR TCPF & 9 Days for International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC))

-Outreach and Community Events

If you would like to help support our team financially, please consider donating by clicking here. This link will take you to our fundraiser page. Or you can text GFURocket to 71777.

If you would like to become an industry sponsor of our team, please email rocketteam@georgefox.edu for more information. We would love to help advertise your business to both potential customers, as well as to students who could be potential future employees for your company.

Thank you to those of you who have supported us thus far, including George Fox University and our industry sponsor ConMet, you have helped us begin our fundraising journey!

Spaceport America Cup Application

This year, as mentioned above, our team intends to apply and compete in the Spaceport America Cup, hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocketry Association (ESRA). This competition is held in Southern New Mexico, and will take place tentatively from June 9-14, 2025. The specific competition we will be applying for is the 10k COTS category, in which the goal is to launch a rocket carrying an 8.8 lb scientifically functional payload, using a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) motor to 10,000' above ground level (AGL). If accepted, our team will be competing against university rocket teams from around the world for the best overall design process and launch. Our current rocket model, which is a preliminary OpenRocket file that needs to be updated, can be seen below. Our team is currently discussing payload options. We have had a fellow rocketeer, John Thompson, join our team as our High Power Rocketry (HPR) Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) Level 3 certified mentor and Flyer of Record. Michael Stewart has also joined as a HPR TRA L3 mentor. In addition, we are actively pursuing friendships with other local universities rocket teams, some who also intend to compete in the competition and have done so before. We believe these are important because we are proud of being from the PNW, and having these friendships that we can build upon will help both teams to grow together in our rocketry experience, and enhance the rocketry experience in the Pacific Northwest. The current date for the application to open is Oct 28, 2024 and teams will be announced on November 18, 2024 or earlier.

Upcoming Events

Moving forward, our team will continue to fundraise through our crowdfunding page to financially provide for this year's projects. We also will be reviewing our design for our solid-propellant rocket and building a test stand for Myrtle I to attempt a hydrostatic fire. In addition, we plan to schedule meetings with mentors and fellow university teams to gain experience and make regional connections.

We host weekly team meetings every Saturday at 10am-12pm, and occasional Tuesdays from 12pm-2pm. If you would like to join us at a meeting to meet the team, please reach out to rocketteam@georgefox.edu and we can schedule a date that works for you.

Event Schedule:

Oct 18-20: Rocketober Launch hosted by OregonRocketry, Brothers, OR

Oct 28: Spaceport America Cup application opens

NET Nov: GFU Rocket Team Community Showcase & Giving Day (contact rocketteam@georgefox.edu about attending)

Nov 8-10: Turkey Loft Launch hosted by OregonRocketry, Brothers, OR

Nov 15: Spaceport America Cup application closes

Nov 18: Spaceport America Cup accepted teams announcement

TBD: Northwest Christian Youth Group outreach event, Newberg, OR

Dec 6: Campus-wide Rocket Team Christmas Party, and viewing of the Discovery Channel's series "Rocket Around the Christmas Tree"

Fall Semester: Hydrostatic Fire of Myrtle I Rocket

Apr 11, 2025: Campus-wide "Apollo 13" Movie Night

NET Apr, 2025: 2024-2025 GFU Rocket Team Banquet (contact rocketteam@georgefox.edu about attending)

Closing Remarks

Thank you for reading about our team and what we've been up to this month and our plans for the future. I hope you feel inspired to do something extraordinary today. Do not take this life for granted, for God has only given us one. May you be blessed as you go throughout your month!