Duke AERO

Duke AERO is a high-powered rocketry club that competes each year at the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) in Midland, TX. The team designs, manufactures, and tests the rocket almost entirely in-house, featuring SRAD avionics, roll-stabilizing canards, a payload with computer vision capabilities, and a guided recovery system. During the 2024-2025 academic year, Duke AERO competed in the 30k SRAD solid motor category. I worked with both the Structures and Solid Propulsion subteams to build “Perseus”, an 11-foot, 125-lb rocket.

Structures

As a member of the Structures subteam, I was responsible for structural components from tip to tail, including the airframe, bulkheads, and fins. I designed the motor retainer and fin mounts in Onshape and maintained the master assembly of the rocket. This entailed making changes to components as necessary and coordinating the integration of over 100 total parts. I also performed wet and pre-preg composite layups for body tubes and couplers, as well as gained experience fabricating forged carbon components.

Solid Propulsion

As part of the Solid Propulsion subteam, I worked to develop a 6” O-class solid rocket motor capable of producing 35,000 Ns of impulse and 5000 N of thrust for a 30,000 ft target altitude. Using a propellant formula developed by a previous Duke AERO team, I mixed and cast solid propellant grains and integrated them into the motor case. Extensive testing was conducted to verify the motor’s structural integrity and performance. I assisted with hydrostatic testing up to 1350 psi and helped the team prepare for a static hot fire.

Competition

In June 2025, the team traveled to IREC in Midland, TX to compete against 150 international collegiate teams and finally launch Perseus. The rocket performed nominally off the rail with an excellent motor burn; however, a structural issue caused instability, and it ultimately undershot its target apogee. Despite this, all components were recovered with only minor damage.