Welcome to the Camp Liftoff 2025 Blog!
We’re thrilled to launch another summer of hands-on aerospace learning. With a mission to inspire the next generation of rocketry engineers, our team of instructors has been hard at work designing a camp experience that is equal parts rigorous, collaborative, and unforgettable. August 2nd was our camp’s “liftoff!”
Part 1: Foundations of Rocketry
We started with some icebreakers, learning the who the instructors are but most importantly, who the students are. After a briefing the students on the curriculum. We started from scratch with the most important foundations an aerospace engineer could want. “What is a rocket?” “Why Rocketry?” We had followed with a brief history of rockets ranging from the ancient Chinese all the way to 1969 when Neil
Armstrong and his team landed on the moon.
From this point on, the students:
- Compared the similarities of designing and F1 racecar with a rocket using examples from aerospace engineering.
- Found out the uses of rocketry.
- Learned about the flight of a model rocket from launch to recovery.
- Learned about the Space Shuttle and the Artemis I rocket.
- Learned about the parts of a model rocket (eg. nose cone).
- Learned about the parts of a motor mount (eg. centering rings).
- Understood the process of creating and using epoxy (an adhesive).
- Learned the three materials used on creating a body tubes.
- Learned what fillets are.
Guest Speaker: Eugene, Camp Liftoff Co-Founder
Before the break, we welcomed Eugene, a Camp Liftoff co-founder and incoming freshman at Georgia Tech. He shared his journey through the Newport Rocketry Club, discussed advanced build techniques like carbon fiber tube construction, and introduced students to a custom force-ejection recovery system he built and tested with app-based telemetry.
Breaktime!
After an intense and enriching first session, students relaxed with a 15-minute break featuring board games like chess, Uno, and Scrabble—while coaches regrouped to prepare the next hands-on session.
Part 2: Building Baby Rockets
The instructors passed out epoxy, a entry level model rocket kit, some plain paper, and an Exacto knife to each student. Under the guidance of instructors Keito and Shaurya, students followed live modeling instructions via projector, with coaches circulating around to support students one-on-one.
By the end of the session, every camper had learned how to:
- Safely measure and mix epoxy using popsicle sticks and masking tape.
- Measure and align fins properly.
- Install a streamer and understand the importance of recovery systems.
- Build a miniature engine mount.
- Experience the joy of hands-on engineering!
Written By Camp Liftoff Team
