Spaceport America Cup Project
Spaceport America Cup
World’s largest Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition. Students can launch solid, liquid, or hybrid rockets to 10k or 30k feet.
Spaceport America | The Space to be…TM
Spaceport America Cup is held at Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport in Las Cruces, NM.
Experimental Sounding Rocket Association
ESRA is a non-profit organization founded to foster and promote engineering knowledge in rocketry.
BSLI SAC Project team annually competes at Spaceport America
BSLI Spaceport America Cup (SAC) project team is focused on designing, manufacturing, and launching a student-built rocket. Every year, the team travels to New Mexico to compete in the Spaceport America Cup, the largest intercollegiate rocketry competition. The team competes in the 30k, Student Research and Designed (SRAD) category, meaning they design all components of a rocket to reach or get as close to 30,000 feet as possible.
Meet The Teams
ILIAD
HEIGHT …………. 3.38 m / 11.1 ft
DIAMETER ……….. 0.15 m / 0.5 ft
MASS ………….. 34.02 kg / 75 lbs
THRUST ……….. 4425 n / 995 lbf
MOTOR …………………. O CLASS
APOGEE ………. 8.9 km / 29.2k ft
TOP SPEED ……………. Mach 2.05
HEIGHT
DIAMETER
MASS
THRUST
MOTOR
APOGEE
TOP SPEED
Project Manager
Deputy PM
3.38 m / 11.1 ft
0.15 m / 0.5 ft
34.02 kg / 75 lbs
4425 n / 995 lbf
O-CLASS
8.9 km / 29.2k ft
Mach 2.05
Sarah Malaska
Sriram Sai Ganesh
Structures
Team Lead: Corey Mays
The spaceport structures team is responsible for designing and testing all airframe components for the rocket. The team focuses on the research and development of airframes, fins, nose cones, and any specialty aerodynamic components. They also conduct structural tests to verify manufacturing techniques and airframe design.
Avionics
Team Lead: Peter Hall
The spaceport avionics team is responsible for designing, testing, and manufacturing all flight computers, sensors, and telemetry systems and ensuring that rocket recovery systems are functional. Avionics works closely with all teams to collect proper data for a successful flight. Additionally, they work closely with Recovery and Payload to assist and ensure the proper systems and data collection systems work for their needs.
Aerodynamics
Team Lead: Sawyer Homman
The Spaceport aerodynamics team focuses on evaluating the performance of the rocket during flight. Recently the team has been analyzing the effects of the transition piece in the middle of the rocket in addition to the nose cone shape. Work includes consulting aerodynamic literature and using Ansys Fluent to run Computational Fluid Dynamic simulations.
2D Static Pressure Contour at Mach 1.5
Recovery
Team Lead: Calvin Beall
The Spaceport recovery team focuses on designing and making the vehicle’s recovery systems. Iliad utilizes a 48″ drogue with a 216″ main chute on a dual deploy, single separation configuration. Work includes chute maintenance and designing custom ejection charge canisters and deployment bags.
Payload
Team Lead: Core Ireland
The Spaceport payload team focuses on designing a payload that conforms to the competition requirements. The Payload team works to have multiple experiments onboard, including a team concept and an outreach project working with local organizations in Columbus, OH. Work includes experiment brainstorming, design, development, and analysis post-flight.
Propulsion
Team Lead: Advaith Saraff
The Spaceport propulsion team dedicates time to research and design of a solid propellant rocket motor. Work includes creating a custom propellant formula, utilizing solid motor fabrication techniques, conducting motor hot fire tests to verify design, and integration to launch vehicle.
Sponsors
