Spaceport America Cup 2021

This is  the  location for all of the FAQs associated with the 2021 Virtual Spaceport America Cup Competition.

What's the deal?

ESRA and Spaceport America have been  working hard behind the scenes and were very hopeful that the 2021 Spaceport America Cup could be held as-planned in June.  However, due to conditions in the State of New Mexico (such as large group restrictions, many  facilities are not available), global travel restrictions (almost all international teams are facing restrictions on travel to the USA), and even  travel restrictions by domestic US universities, we made the collective decision to turn the 2021 event into a virtual competition.  We hope you'll join us as this provides all teams an opportunity to compete for awards as well as participate in technical forums, keynote speeches, and the many sponsors we have who are interested in recruiting talented college students.

What about  team entry fee deposits?  Will there be additional costs for the 2021 Virtual Spaceport America Cup?

All teams MUST choose one of the following options with respect to their deposits (see form on HeroX):

1. Choose to roll their deposits and reserve a spot for the 2022 Spaceport America Cup
2. Choose a  refund and lose their guaranteed spot for 2022

The 2021 Virtual Spaceport America Cup will be a  special and separate competition.   Teams who plan to participate should continue to provide  progress reports and technical reports per the timeline on HeroX.  There will be a  small fee to  attend the virtual event and ESRA is working hard to keep costs as low as possible.  Pricing details are being worked now and will be announced when available.  

Should we provide the 2nd Progress Report on March  5th and the Project Technical Report on  May 14th?

Yes, if you plan to compete this year.  The 2021 Virtual Spaceport America Cup will be evaluating progress reports, technical paper submissions, podium session presentations, and  poster sessions as part of the regular scoring criteria defined in the IREC Rules and Requirements Document.   If your team does not plan to participate in the virtual competition, then no further submissions are required.

Is the SDL Payload Competition still happening?

Yes, if you plan to compete this year.  The SDL Payload competition is also virtual this year.  SDL will be evaluating your submissions for awards and prizes as defined on the SDL Payload Competition page.

Should we continue building our rocket?  Can we include test results in the technical report?

ESRA is working with the TRA (Tripoli Rocketry Association) to offer some limited opportunities for launches at regional Tripoli Prefectures around the US.  Please consider reaching out to one of these groups to see what would be required to launch your rocket at one of their sites.  

Teams are encouraged to include any test results in their technical paper submissions.

There has been a lot of confusion on this topic, even within the leadership of ESRA.  It's important that teams understand the following roles:

Team Mentor - ESRA HIGHLY RECOMMENDS all teams have a team mentor. This mentor should be considered an expert with experience flying high power rocketry projects similar or greater in scope to the rockets being designed and built by the team. 

• The MENTOR does not have to be an employee of the university, but it is highly recommended that your mentor should reimbursed for time and travel expenses involved in supporting the team.
• The MENTOR should provide active onsite supervision of all major design reviews, manufacturing and testing activities as well as participating in all launch operations by the team.
• The MENTOR is not required to be HPR certified but it is highly recommended. The Mentor's expertise and experience should be substantial enough to be considered a senior technical authority.
• The team's FACULTY ADVISOR can be the MENTOR if he/she is qualified to do so.
• ESRA Range Safety Staff can be a MENTOR as long as they are actively involved with the team year round.

Level 3 Certified HPR Flyer of Record - The L3 Flyer of Record is a new requirement for all COTS and SRAD Solid category rockets beginning in the 2021 Cup.  

• All COTS or SRAD solid rocket teams MUST HAVE an appropriately HPR certified flyer of record ONSITE at the launch who will be the official Flyer of Record.
• This Flyer of Record must provide up to date credentials for an approved HPR certification that is accepted by TRA. A full listing of reciprocity certified rocketry organizations can be found here:
  http://www.tripoli.org/Certification 
• The Flyer of Record DOES NOT have to be the TEAM MENTOR but they must be very familiar with the specific project being launched in order to sign the flight card onsite just prior to launch.

ESRA support for the L3 Flyer of Record requirement - 

• ESRA acknowledges that many international teams (Europe, Middle East, etc.) have no ability to gain access to a L3 Flyer of Record.  ESRA Range Safety Reviewers will work directly with these teams to address possible options to have ESRA provide the L3 Flyer of Record.
• Teams in the United States, Canada and even in Australia have access to a large number of potential Flyers of Records. ESRA cannot commit to provide L3 Flyers of Record for all teams.
• International teams should MAKE SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS to find a local/regional Flyer of Record for their project.

No, but it is highly encouraged.  Critical communications and updates are provided through the HeroX platform.  If your team fails to monitor these official communications, your team may be penalized or removed from the competition.  Team leads and delegates are required such that entry, progress, and final reports can be submitted prior to the deadlines.

All teams MUST read the IREC Rules and Requirements Document as well as the IREC Design Test and Evaluation Guide available on our website at http://www.soundingrocket.org/sa-cup-documents--forms.html.   

For any specific questions, post a question on the HeroX forums and an ESRA staff member will respond.

Yes, but it’s quick and easy. Just click the “Accept Challenge” button on this page and follow the instructions to complete your registration. All you need to provide is your name and email address.

The Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 for the purpose of fostering and promoting engineering knowledge and experience in the field of rocketry. ESRA's current focus is in the field of experimental sounding rocketry, which we define as roughly between "experimental" or "research" high-power rockets and sounding rockets capable of reaching space (generally defined as 100 km altitude).

ESRA hosts Spaceport America Cup - Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) for teams from across the USA and around the world.

More information can be found at our website www.soundingrocket.org.

ESRA hosts the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) for student rocketry teams from across the USA and around the world. With a payload size of 8.8 pounds and target altitudes of either 10,000 or 30,000 ft. above ground level, competing rockets are typically 4 to 8 inches in diameter and 8 to 20 ft. long. Multistage rockets and all chemical propulsion types (solid, liquid, and hybrid) are allowed.

Beginning in 2017, ESRA's Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) became the flagship activity of a new annual event called the Spaceport America Cup (SA Cup).

More information can be found on our website at www.soundingrocket.org

If you have a question not answered in the FAQ, we recommend that you post it in the Forum where someone will respond to you. This way, others who may have the same question will be able to see it.