{"id":142581,"date":"2021-05-30T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2021-05-30T18:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=142581"},"modified":"2021-07-20T16:39:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T02:39:36","slug":"rocket-launch-national-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/05\/30\/rocket-launch-national-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Engineering students prep rocket to launch in national competition"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_98468\"  width=\"676\" height=\"676\"  data-origwidth=\"676\" data-origheight=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VlYlHF21RPQ?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Engineering students prep rocket to launch in national competition\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>Ready, set, liftoff!<\/p>\n<p>Members from University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teamhokulele.com\/\">Team H\u014dk\u016blele<\/a> are headed to Mojave, Calif., to launch their 15-foot rocket and payload in a national competition. The project by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eng.hawaii.edu\/\">College of Engineering<\/a> students was accepted into the <a href=\"https:\/\/friendsofamateurrocketry.org\/\">Friends of Amateur Rocketry<\/a> (<abbr>FAR<\/abbr>) 1030 Competition happening on June 5.<\/p>\n<p>The students will launch their rocket called <span aria-label=\"Kuamoo\">Kuamo&#699;o<\/span> (Milky Way) in the competition\u2019s 30,000-foot category, a cruising altitude for some commercial airplanes. Along with the altitude requirement, their objectives are to: launch the rocket with live video, deploy a rover vehicle upon landing and recover all components in reusable condition. Team H\u014dk\u016blele and the other competing college and amateur teams will launch their rockets from the <abbr>FAR<\/abbr> rocketry range near Edwards Air Force Base.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Blake Yamamoto<\/strong>, the team\u2019s senior design project manager, said this project is the culmination of two years of work since last year\u2019s team was unable to compete due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It\u2019s really exciting. I still have contact with some of the previous team members so even they\u2019re really excited to see this thing fly,&rdquo; Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n<h2>Rocket and payload<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele-preps-ed-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"people working on a rocket\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-142844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele-preps-ed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele-preps-ed-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele-preps-ed.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span aria-label=\"Kuamoo\">Kuamo&#699;o<\/span> is the first two-stage\/motor rocket for Team H\u014dk\u016blele, which was established in 2019. The rocket is designed to reach a height of at least 30,000 feet and safely protect all of its components from liftoff to touchdown. The team also created a radio-controlled rover capable of traveling a distance of at least 10 feet after touchdown, and needed to ensure that the rover and its deployment system are durable enough to survive any sustained impacts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aiden Guzman<\/strong> is the senior design team propulsion and recovery subsystem lead. His task was to decide what motors will be used, and run the simulations to make sure that the rocket will fly and descend safely to and from an altitude of 30,000 feet.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Since I took on a lead position it helped me gain experience in giving others tasks, coordinating testing\/work days with big groups of people, integrating each system of the rocket making sure that none of them interfere with each other and resource acquisition,&rdquo; Guzman said. &ldquo;Also before this project, I was very timid, but now I am very comfortable asking a lot of questions. Even if you decide not to go into the aerospace field, this position will give anyone experience to become a project manager for any system.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Vertically integrated project<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"people standing in front of a sign with a rocket\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-142598\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-team-hokulele.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Team H\u014dk\u016blele is part of <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.google.com\/a\/hawaii.edu\/uh-vip\/teams\/aerospace-technologies\"><abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> Aerospace Technologies<\/a>, one of more than a dozen Vertically Integrated Projects or <abbr>VIP<\/abbr>s offered to students at <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa. <abbr>VIP<\/abbr>s are uniquely designed to include faculty mentors, graduate student researchers, and undergraduates from freshmen to seniors. The more experienced members mentor newer members, passing down their knowledge and expertise, and the process repeats itself annually.<\/p>\n<p>The team comprises two separate groups: <abbr>VIP<\/abbr> students and students from a <a href=\"http:\/\/me.hawaii.edu\/\">Department of Mechanical Engineering<\/a> senior design course. They are mentored by <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsfl.hawaii.edu\/\"><span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Space Flight Laboratory<\/a> Specialist and Project Manager <strong>Trevor Sorensen<\/strong>, and Assistant Specialist and Deputy Director <strong>Miguel Nunes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The <abbr>VIP<\/abbr> team members all work under or alongside the senior design team members, who serve as subsystem leads,&rdquo; said <strong>Leah Toma<\/strong>, <abbr>VIP<\/abbr> manager. &ldquo;This results in a sort of pipeline that helps the <abbr>VIP<\/abbr> team gain experience prior to their senior year, which helps to ensure the sustainability and success of the team, since knowledge and skills can be passed down easily.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Previous success<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_142589\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-142589\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-spaceport-america-cup-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"rocket launch\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-142589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-spaceport-america-cup-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-spaceport-america-cup-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-engineering-spaceport-america-cup.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-142589\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2019 launch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Two members of the current team, including Toma, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2019\/06\/20\/manoa-students-launch-rocket\/\">traveled with the 2019 team<\/a> to compete at the Spaceport America Cup competition in New Mexico. The students successfully launched their rocket named Kahekili with two experimental payloads. Toma said this year\u2019s team looks to build on the foundation started by the team\u2019s first-ever competition in 2019.<\/p>\n<h2>Funding assistance<\/h2>\n<p>Team H\u014dk\u016blele received approximately $19,500 in funding and support from several organizations, including the College of Engineering, <a href=\"https:\/\/ecuh.org\/\">Engineers Council of the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span><\/a>, <abbr>RM<\/abbr> Towill Corporation, Fiberglass Hawaii, Pacific Instruments, <span aria-label=\"Iolani\">&#699;Iolani<\/span> School, Coffman Engineers, Hawaiian Dredging and Universal Manufacturers. Pacific Air Cargo has also offered to transport the rocket from <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> to California and back.<\/p>\n<p>This program is an example of <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s goals of <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf#page=25\">Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf#page=20\">Enhancing Student Success<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), two of four goals identified in the <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf\">2015&#8211;25 Â鶹´«Ã½<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), updated in December 2020.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;By <em>Marc Arakaki<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rocket, <span aria-label=\"Kuamoo\">Kuamo&#699;o<\/span>, is scheduled to launch on June 5 in Mojave, California.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,12],"tags":[179,182,406,1480,1466,1467,9,1450,56],"class_list":["post-142581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","category-video","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-engineering","tag-hawaii-space-flight-laboratory","tag-manoa-academic-innovation-engaged-learning","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-manoa-excellence-in-research","tag-uh-manoa","tag-undergraduate","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142581"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":142604,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142581\/revisions\/142604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}