USU Rocketry Club Reaches New Heights with Successful Launch
On June 14, 2025, the Utah State University College of Engineering Rocketry Club successfully launched Sky Streaker at the International Rocket Engineering Competition, held at Spaceport Midland, Texas, and hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association.
USU's rocketry club tests their rocket at Hunt Field in April. This year's rocket team set an extraordinary precedent in collegiate rocketry by winding their own carbon fiber body.
Standing 11 feet tall with a 6-inch diameter and weighing 65 pounds, Sky Streaker soared to 9,458 feet—just shy of the team's 10,000-foot target. The shortfall was later attributed to a slight deviation in the launch angle. Despite this, the mission was noted to be an incredible success, a testament to the team's engineering and dedication.
Perhaps the team's most impressive achievement was their live video and telemetry system, which streamed real-time data and visuals for the entire flight. While many other teams struggled to maintain a continuous connection over the long distance to the launch pad, USU's system stood out as one of the few to deliver an uninterrupted live feed.
Another major success was the Altitude Control System. Using real-time trajectory data, the system correctly predicted that the rocket would stay below the target altitude and chose not to deploy the air brakes. While seeing the air brakes in action would have been exciting, their decision not to deploy highlighted the strength and reliability of the closed-loop control algorithm.
Out of more than 150 teams from around the world, the USU Rocketry Club placed 19th in the 10k category and 30th overall—an impressive feat for a student-led team that designed and built nearly every component in-house. Perhaps even more memorable than the rankings was the spirit of the competition: teams were eager to share knowledge, offer support, and celebrate each other's successes.
The Experimental Sounding Rocket Association hosts the International Rocket Engineering Competition for student rocketry teams from across the United States and around the world. The 2025 challenge was the first to be hosted at Spaceport Midland, Texas after outgrowing their previous challenge site. This change will allow even more exciting opportunities for students. The association believes that designing, building and flying research rockets is a great way to motivate and encourage students to pursue STEM fields.
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Writer: Madeline Buskirk, madeline.buskirk@usu.edu, 435-797-7512
Contact: Jackson Graham, jackson.graham@usu.edu, 435-797-5684