EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 The rocket team for the University of Texas at El Paso will be participating in an international rocket competition.<\/p>\n
The International Rocket Building Competition (IREC) will be hosted in Midland, Texas. And will take place June 15-20. <\/p>\n
This will be UTEP’s fifth year participating in the IREC, hoping to continue with the success of 2025, as the team then finished seventh place overall. <\/p>\n
Damien Isaiah Angel, the team’s project manager, says the name for their rocket, Odyssey, was well chosen because it encompasses the team’s overall unity. <\/p>\n
“To create something as large-scale as our 30k rocket, it’s something that we believe is structurally sound, that we believe is well-improved compared to last year’s. It is an improvement we will continue to do because of team effort,” Angel said.<\/p>\n
RELATED: UTEP rocket team triumphs at international contest<\/a><\/p>\n The IREC is the world’s largest international rocket building competition, and this group is not going in blind. From previous experience with IREC, they understand the challenges and pressure that can come on competition day. This is why they go through a series of test launches, each one conducted through the same competition standards.<\/p>\n “We try to simulate the same IREC experience of ‘hey, the pressure is on,’ while you still have to be fast with your work, you still have to keep in mind the quality of the work you put into the rocket to make it successful,” stated Angel. <\/p>\n But Damien is not the only one ready for another year at IREC; member Idhaoy Torres, who attended the competition last year, says, “I’m excited to see another 30k go up in the air.” <\/p>\n Torres also stated, “Keep proving to ourselves and the rest of the team members that we are able to do what we say we are going to do,” when asked why they continue to go back every year.<\/p>\n According to the competition website, the competition hosted by Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA), started in 2006 in Green River, UT, and soon achieved international status in 2011, when schools from Canada and Brazil joined. It has then doubled in size every year since 2013. All competing rockets in IREC are typically 4 to 8 inches in diameter and 8 to 20 ft. long, and are built to reach altitudes of 10,000, 30,000 or 45,000 ft.<\/p>\n If you wish to meet with the UTEP and the rocket Odyssey, they will both be at the Engineering Building, Room E-101 on UTEP campus, from 10-11 am on Friday, June 12, for a behind-the-scenes look.<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED: School Spotlight: Summer campers enjoy therapeutic riding experience in El Paso<\/a><\/p>\n