International Rocket Engineering Competition 2025

Deadline to submit 2nd Progress Report. All teams must submit this report. Closing time is 6:00pm CT. There is no GRACE PERIOD. Submit your application at least 3 days early to AVOID TECHNICAL ISSUES.

Thank you to all who attended and participated in the January Town Hall. The recording, map of potential venues and launch sites, and compilation of written questions can be found below. For maximum clarity, several questions have precipitated DTEG changes. The new DTEG language is in the written question compilation document. It will be propagated to the DTEG and posted on the ESRA site shortly.

The map containing potential venues and launch site locations is here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1fs8dIMQfITR_0VUuMPfQYrHeUMBsAAM

The compilation of written questions (and DTEG changes) is here: https://www.soundingrocket.org/uploads/9/0/6/4/9064598/esra_irec_january_2025_town_hall_questions.pdf

ESRA will be hosting the first Town Hall for 2025, this Thursday from 7pm-8pm Central. We will be covering the new 2025 Rules & Requirements changes, site evaluation process, ITAR process, and then take Q&A from teams.

When: Jan 9, 2025 07:00-8:00 PM Central Time (UTC-06)
Topic:  IREC 2025 January Town Hall
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89375950092?pwd=g16BugSBBMB0nHwYYvxnvxnboStOQb.1
Passcode: IREC2025
 

The town hall will be recorded and posted to our Youtube channel following the event. If you have questions in advance, we will review comments on the HeroX update.

IREC Update

Thank you all for your patience as we consider new sites to enhance the event and engineering challenge in 2025. To keep everyone informed, I want to review our key evaluation criteria and how possible sites are progressing. At present, we have multiple good new site options, but each requires federal permitting of some kind. Given the U.S. holidays and upcoming change of administration, we anticipate permitting feedback no earlier than January 20. Multiple congresspeople are involved to aid this process and secure the event for their states and districts.

Hosting City: Must demonstrate the ability to host an event of this size, be within 3 hours of an international airport, have sufficient accommodation options (Hotel, Airbnb, VRBO, or dorm rooms) for 2,500 attendees, and have local chamber of commerce support.

Convention Center: It needs to comfortably accommodate 2,500 people, including space for poster and rocket displays, sponsor exhibit booths, flight readiness reviews, podium sessions, and vendor rooms.

Awards Ceremony Facility: Preferably a basketball arena-style facility with stadium seating.

Launch Site: Must have a 50-100k waiver, 5 square miles of launch/recovery space with minimal vegetation and no trees, a large area for team prep tents and ESRA Operations, and the ability to store containers on-site year-round.

Sites Identified:

Cedar City, Utah: ESRA visited Cedar City, Utah, led by Gary Rosenfield from Aerotech/RCS. Cedar City, known as Festival City, is experienced in hosting large events. The Southern Utah University campus provides large meeting spaces and awards ceremony facilities that meet our requirements.  The launch site requires land use permits from the BLM and airspace permits from the FAA.

Midland Spaceport, Midland, Texas: ESRA will visit Midland on 12/30. Our meetings with Spaceport executives and the local chamber of commerce suggest that this site will meet our objectives. This site already has an FAA waiver but will require updating to a higher altitude. We'll provide an update after our visit.

Spaceport America: Despite challenges scaling the event, Spaceport America has been a great partner and the event may return there in 2025. If the event returns, categories and altitudes will be identical to 2024.

We expect to finalize the site selection by the end of January and apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Next Updates:

1. We will provide an update on the Midland Spaceport after our visit on 30 December.

2. We will announce a Town Hall meeting in early January. 

3. We will provide permitting updates at the end of January. Permitting status is the key information needed to finalize site selection. 

We recognize we must balance the benefits of a new site against the costs of delay. Thank you for your patience and we will continue to provide updates.

Closing:

Thank you to the teams for their patience. The ESRA staff is dedicated to enhancing your experience and increasing the engineering challenges each year. It is my great privilege to make this happen.

Wishing you and your families happiness and prosperity this holiday season and in the new year.

ESRA was alerted to a very critical change to US Federal ITAR rules that would directly affect future competitions. Specifically, prohibiting the ability of any international students to purchase, transport or even interact with amateur high power rocket systems weighing more than 5lbs in the US.

ESRA as well as many other corporations, groups and individuals have already commented on these proposed changes.  We are asking for our student participants, university officials and others to get involved and let your voices be heard!  You do not have to be a US Citizen to add your comment.

Instructions to comment:

1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOS-2024-0035-0002
2. Click the "Comment" button in the upper left
3. Place the comment text (below) in the comment box. Individuals are encourage to customize and expand for their specific circumstances
4. Complete the remaining identity fields and reCAPTCHA
5. Press Submit Comment button
   Done!

The absolute submission deadline is 11:59 PM Eastern Time (Washington DC time), tomorrow 23 December 2024. 

Please consider posting the following into the Comment section of the form:

As a student participant in the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), I urge the Department of State to revise parts of the proposed rule to better support U.S. universities and international educational collaboration while maintaining appropriate controls. IREC is a global competition fostering the next generation of aerospace leaders through hands-on experience in designing and launching amateur rockets. The proposed rule, as written, would impose significant new burdens that could limit U.S. educational opportunities and international participation, without advancing U.S. critical military advantages. Specifically, I request the following changes: 

To the definition of Amateur Rocket: 

1. Materials: Explicitly permit commonly used, non-sensitive materials like carbon fiber and composite materials to align with modern technology. 
2. Active Controls: Replace with the term "Targeting Functions" to differentiate from academic controls terminology. Clarify that simple altitude control mechanisms, such as airbrakes, are not targeting functions and should remain uncontrolled. 
3. Propellant Mass Limit: Delete the 5 pound propellant mass limit. This is duplicative, yet significantly more restrictive, than the 40,960 Ns total impulse limit already included. This clause significantly increases the USML's scope of control compared to today's regulations. 

To the definition of Amateur Rocket Motor: 

1. Propellant Mass: Replace the proposed 5-pound propellant mass with a total impulse limit of 40,960 Ns, which is already a widely recognized performance standard. If a propellant mass limit must be retained, increase it to 50 pounds to align with existing commercial products of similar impulse. 
2. NFPA Certification: Delete reference to NFPA Certification. This consumer safety standard has no bearing on export control, and invoking it controls all university research rocket motors, no matter how small. 

Without these revisions, the proposed rule risks stifling innovation, burdening educational institutions, and discouraging student participation in programs that inspire future aerospace leaders. By making these changes, the Department can ensure that the proposed rule supports safe, educational rocketry while maintaining U.S. critical military advantages. Thank you for considering this feedback.