RIT Launch Initiative

Who Are We? RIT Launch Initiative is a multidisciplinary student organization that applies the principles of rocket design and manufacturing for learning and competition. We aim to prepare students for excellence in aerospace, to conduct novel research and development, and to put RIT at the forefront of collegiate rocketry and competition. From design to launch, we are committed to providing real-world engineering experience through leadership, education, and a desire to explore the unknown. IREC The IREC team is responsible for developing and constructing a fully functional, high-powered rocket for the annual Intercollegiate Rocket and Engineering Competition. This year’s rocket is called VOID - a high-powered rocket to compete in the 10,000 ft. category. It features custom-made carbon fiber and fiberglass body tubes, custom avionics, and student-made parts like the nosecone, bulkheads, and fins. Avionics The avionics team is responsible for developing custom flight computers and avionics systems to track the team’s rocket, record data, and monitor flight conditions in real-time. This past semester the team has been working on our newest board, NIGEL, and the payload for the IREC rocket. Liquid Propulsion The liquid propulsion team is a research and development team that focuses on designing, manufacturing, and testing liquid and hybrid rocket engines to implement these engines into future rockets. Recently, the team has finally completed manufacturing and programming for our very first liquid rocket engine, the RL-36! The engine consists of many custom-made components including a combustion chamber, an injector, a feed system, and a static test stand. Space Race Space Race is a year-long engineering competition held for first-year Launch Initiative members to learn the fundamentals of rocketry! Each team is responsible for designing and building an L2 class high-powered rocket which will be judged based on altitude, accuracy, design, and ingenuity.