Duke AERO is the premier aerospace engineering club at Duke, each year designing and building a high-powered rocket to compete at Spaceport America Cup. In the spring of my sophomore year, due to other previous commitments, I worked sparingly on Pitchfork, a rocket for SAC’s 10k foot SRAD (Student Researched and Developed) Motor category. However, I am excited to become more involved with Duke AERO this coming year as we design and build to compete in the 30k foot SRAD category.

I plan to work with the Structures and Manufacturing Subteam, which focuses on the actual building of the rocket. I have already had some exposure to composite manufacture, working on wet and prepreg layups for the airframe. I look forward to gaining more experience using the mills and lathes to create aluminum parts over the course of the year.

At Spaceport in Las Cruces, Duke AERO received the Jim Furfaro Award for Technical Excellence, in recognition of the team achieving the best design and build of 150 teams, despite a less than nominal flight. I know I have big shoes to fill, but I am eager to pursue this new interest and help Duke AERO compete at an elite level.