. . . the gateway to hands-on aerospace engineering at UCSC!

🚀What is Rocketry?

Undergraduate level rocketry is about designing, constructing, and launching rockets for competitions and research. At UCSC, we participate in the International Rocketry Engineering Competition, where student teams from around the world launch rockets up to 30,000 feet.

We utilize systems engineering in the context of aerospace, combining:

• Mechanical Engineering (structures, aerodynamics, manufacturing, prototype testing)
• Electrical Engineering (sensors, avionics, power systems, embedded systems)
• Software Engineering (flight computers, data processing, control systems)
• Physics & Math (modeling, control theory, analysis, simulations)
• Project Management (logistics, outreach, finances, documentation)

No matter your background, there’s a place for you to contribute and learn!

Why It Matters at UCSC

We pride ourselves on carving out opportunities in aerospace at a school without a dedicated aerospace program.

In the aerospace industry, success depends on collaboration across countless technical disciplines. These systems are deeply interconnected requiring a team of diversely specialized engineers.

We aim to foster a culture around systems integration and interdisciplinary collaboration. While our degrees may be specialized, we want to become well-rounded professionals:

• learning how complex systems interact, not just understanding a component, but how it fits into the system as a whole
• gaining experience that reflects the demands of real-world projects in industry
• developing the communication, documentation, teamwork, and leadership skills that empower your technical ability.

Anyone Can Join!

We welcome students of all majors and year; no experience required!

If you are curious, motivated, and ready to learn through practice, then this team is for you!