International Rocket Engineering Competition 2025
June 9-14, 2025
Over 2,000 students, faculty and mentors will gather for the 18th annual International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC)in June of 2025. Drawn by the opportunity to collaborate and compete in a world class event, you represent the best and brightest from more than 150 colleges and universities located across the USA and around the world.
Join us as we host thousands of the world's most ambitious collegiate rocketeers in a one-of-a-kind event. Part academic conference and part design-build-fly style competition, the IREC has something to offer students, faculty, industry representatives, and amateur aerospace aficionados alike.
The biggest rockets, the highest altitudes and largest payloads!
How will you answer the call?
Whether you are an academic, an industry representative, a retired professional, or simply a passionate amateur supportive of young minds who seek new horizons... there are many ways you may become a part of an event impacting the future of aerospace...
As a Sponsor...
You could interact with over 1,800 university STEM students from top ranked universities and colleges in a professional and competitive setting. Not only can your organization interact with them face to face but you can also learn about how their aerospace hardware performs in real world conditions. Finally, you will help make possible an event which inspires the best possible candidates for your company!
As a Volunteer...
You will join a highly motivated and talented ESRA team which brings together the thousands of moving pieces to build the world's largest collegiate rocket engineering conference and competition. From directing crowds to directing launches and everything in between, we need you at the IREC!
As a Judge...
You will join a group of respected experts and professionals who interact with the student teams to evaluate and score the deliverables, including technical design documents, overall team performance and launch success. This team determines who will receive the coveted Genesis Trophy as the Overall Winner of the IREC.
As a Student...
You will demonstrate your hard work on an international stage, in front of thousands of your peers, professors, and prospective employers. You will engage in design-build-fly style rocket and payload engineering competitions in a professional setting, at world class facilities, where the sky is not the limit!
Guidelines for the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) are hosted on our website! www.soundingrocket.org/irec-documents--forms.html
You'll want to review the following documents:
- IREC Rules and Requirements Document
- IREC Design, Test, and Evaluation Guide
- Integrated Master Schedule
- SDL Payload Challenge Rules & Information
- IREC Range Standard Operating Procedures
- Pre-Registration Forms and Instructions
- Explanation Letter for IREC Fees
- Proper Clothing for the IREC
- Maps to travel to the Vertical Launch Area
