UC Irvine Rocket Project Solids 2025-2026

The UCI Rocket Project - Solids is an undergraduate student engineering project founded in 2022 that is focused on designing and building solid propellant rockets. We are a small but dedicated team of 30 students working hard throughout the year to prepare our newest rocket for the upcoming International Rocketry Engineering Competition (IREC) in 2026. At IREC 2025, our rocket “Azula” won us first place in our category, as well as a first-place finish for our outstanding team video!

Our Mission

We build more than rockets.

Our mission is to push the boundaries of what student rocketry can accomplish. We give undergraduate engineers the opportunity to design, manufacture, and launch high-powered solid rockets. Our rockets are researched, designed, and tested entirely by us. And by doing so, we’re not just developing technical skills, but producing engineers that are capable of leading teams, solve real-world problems, and build systems that can fly.

We’ve improved so much in the years since we started. We went from first tests to first place. After our debut Level 3 motor test in 2023, we launched ZotStar at Spaceport America in 2024. Just a year later, we returned with a fully student-researched and designed (SRAD) rocket and took home first place in the 10K SRAD solids category at IREC 2025. 

This year, we’re setting our sights even higher. We are returning to IREC in 2026 to compete in the 10K SRAD solids category once again, but this time with an entirely new Level 3 rocket. Along the way, we are mentoring a brand new team, refining our designs, and raising the bar for what’s possible here at UCI. Every test fire, subsystem review, and launch brings us new lessons, and every challenge makes us a stronger team. And with your support, we’ll keep pushing forward, one rocket at a time!

How Your Donations Help Us

Building and launching high-powered rockets is no small feat. Your support gives us the tools, materials, and testing opportunities needed to design, manufacture, and fly competition-ready rockets. Every dollar goes directly toward propellant casting, custom machining, avionics, and the rigorous testing that makes our flights possible.

Your contributions also create real-world learning experiences, like teaching students to solve complex engineering challenges under tight deadlines, just like in the industry. Whether it funds a motor test, a launch, or our travel to IREC 2026, every donation helps push UCI Rocket Project Solids to new heights.

Thank you for fueling our mission.

The UC Irvine Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. Your gift may qualify for tax-deduction in accordance with IRS regulations during the calendar year that you make your gift. Consult your tax professional for more information.