Throughout this academic year, The Rider will explore the student organizations at UTRGV. This is the seventh in our series. The Rider interviewed Marcos Rojas, president of Rocket Launchers, for information.
Name: Rocket Launchers
President: Marcos Rojas
Vice President: Carlos Cantú
Secretary: Alexandra Alaniz
Treasurer: Nayeli Castro
Public Relations Officer: Dexter Navejar
Recruiter: Julio Treviño
Team Captains: Omar Elizondo and Ryan Luna
Advisers: Lecturers II Gregory Potter and Samantha Ramirez
What is the purpose of Rocket Launchers? “Well, basically, we focus on research on higher power rocketry. So, we want to give the skills that the industry uses for the airspace companies to the current students that are studying here in the [Rio Grande] Valley, basically, at UTRGV. The reason for that is because we don’t have an aerospace engineering program–yet. So, as mechanical engineers, in order for us to compete against colleges that do have that [program], we need to have that experience. So, that’s why this organization is doing what it’s doing.”
What activities does Rocket Launchers perform? “We compete at a competition called the Spaceport America [Cup]. It’s an international competition among 12 countries. We basically build our own rocket, we launch it, and we have two different categories, between 10,000 and 30,000 feet. The competition is about precision. So, the closest you get to the altitude that they tell you to [reach], the higher place you get. Besides that, we help out in summer camps. For example, when middle school kids come and elementary kids come, we teach them about what we do, in this case about rocketry, but also about engineering in general. We sometimes host workshops and events for new students to introduce them to rocketry, but also sometimes we prepare them for … job conferences, where you go and you talk to companies wanting to have a job. So, we teach them how to properly talk to them. So, in a sense, we teach them how to behave in a professional environment. Those would be the main things we do as an organization.”
When and where do Rocket Launchers’ general meetings take place? “Our meetings are going to take place every Saturday in the Measurements Lab [Room 2.448] at the hallway of the Engineering Building [in Edinburg]. … It starts at 10 a.m. and usually finishes at around 5 p.m.”
What are the membership requirements? “We are an organization based on attendance. As long as you are attending the meetings … and as long as we see that you are working, you are going to be considered an active member. We do sometimes charge a fee, but again, we rather focus on your work and not you having to pay something to join.”
For more information, email: marcos.rojas01@utrgv.edu, carlos.cantu01@utrgv.edu or rocketlaunchers.utrgv@gmail.com
Facebook: The Rocket Launchers
Instagram: @rocketlaunchersutrgv
Twitter: @rockets_utrgv
Website: https://www.therocketlaunchers.org/
—Compiled by Joahana Segundo
