UCI Rocket Project Solids Team

Who We Are

Immerse. Invent. Ignite. The UCI Rocket Project - Solids Team established itself in the Spring quarter of 2022 as an undergraduate-student engineering project dedicated to designing, building, testing, and competing with solid propellant rockets. With 20-30 students per quarter, our passionate rocket project members challenge ourselves in national inter-collegiate competitive rocketry. By participating in multiple categories of national competitions such as the Spaceport America Cup held in New Mexico, the UCI Rocket Project - Solids Team connects our ambitious students to real aerospace theory and experimentation.

Fig. 1: UCI Rocket Project Solids after a Test Readiness Review on February ‘24

Our Mission

As it always has been, our mission is to explore the technology and theory of aerospace through international competitive rocketry. Through this, we can leave a legacy of stable soaring rockets for future UCI rocket project teams. We dedicate ourselves to graduating leaders committed to a career of ethical engineering services.

Fig. 2: F.A.R. Static Level-3 Motor Test Fire

In an era where space exploration is transitioning from aspiration to reality, the importance of a project like ours cannot be overstated. Serving as a launch pad for dreams, our young rocket team has made tremendous strides. In the Spring of 2023, the team tested its first level-3 motor solid rocket in the Mojave Desert. Unfortunately, the rocket experienced an in-flight rapid disassembly event. The team has learned from this experience and is more motivated than ever to succeed.Our team is determined to make a name for ourselves at the 2024 Spaceport America Cup Engineering Conference and Competition competing with the creation of our new rocket: the “ZotStar.” So far in 2024, we have completed a successful static test fire and level 2 test launch with our competition-ready avionics system. Both are key steps to finalizing the design, construction, and testing of our level-3 competition rocket. We also love to involve ourselves in our community! By helping and supporting young rocket project groups such as Samueli Academy’s after-school rocket program, we aim to inspire the next generation of engineers!

Fig. 3: Volunteering at Samueli Academy

How Your Donations Help Us!

Manufacturing multiple level 1 to level 3 rockets and competing in international competitions such as the SA Cup takes a significant amount of resources. Donations serve as the lifeblood of our project, enabling us to invest in cutting-edge equipment and state-of the art technology and materials essential to the development of larger and more sophisticated rockets. Your support not only contributes to the overall quality of our rocket, but to the entire team’s learning experience, providing valuable insights into the intricacies of aerospace engineering. Direct contributions to our participation in prestigious competitions like the Spaceport America Cup allows our team to experience the full impact of  industry-level rocketry, gaining experience in hard deadlines and learning true, real-world problem solving skills. The extensive testing required for understanding, detailed design, and ensuring reliable procedures and components demands significant financial resources. Your donation directly funds these essential tests, covering expenses such as travel to test sites and the procurement of items crucial for testing. Each and every donation, no matter how large or small, makes a difference in our path to greatness.

Your contributions are vital to propelling us to new heights, and we look forward to sharing our journey with you. Thank you!