Bethel University’s Rocket Team soars to a third consecutive victory at Midwest High Power Rocketry Competition

"I would have never predicted that we would be where we are today, doubling membership each year and now chasing a national competition,” reflects engineering major Nathan Engman ‘26, a founding member of the Bethel University Rocket Team. The Rocket Team won first place at its third consecutive High Power Rocketry Competition in May. Team members now hope to compete at the national Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico next year.

In fall 2021, the Rocket Team began with just three members: electrical engineering major Ben Teigland ‘25 and mechanical engineering majors Nathan Engman ‘26 and Alec Braun ‘25. The team won its first competition and has since achieved wins each following year. Since then, the Rocket Team has expanded to 16 dedicated members, each contributing specialized skills in engineering, physics, computer science, and more. They’ve also attained official club status through the Bethel Student Government and have become more widely recognized throughout the Bethel community.

Keith Stein, professor of physics and faculty advisor for the Bethel Rocket Team, credits NASA's Minnesota Space Grant Consortium for enabling the rocket team's achievements over the last three years. He also acknowledges Bethel’s Department of Physics and Engineering for their crucial support, including providing necessary lab space for meetings and construction. "The team's first-place performance in the 2024 competition was the product of a year-long commitment,” says Stein.

Through a year-long journey marked by meticulous planning, extensive lab work, and strategic research, the team's preparations resulted in a first-place finish amongst worthy competitors from prestigious institutions such as Military Technical College (Egypt) and Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Stein also credits their current success to team mentor Art Gibbens, a 1982 Bethel alumnus. As a member, former president, vice president, and editor of the Minnesota Amateur Spacemodeler Association (MASA), Gibbens brings a wealth of experience in rocketry and has mentored teams in the American Rocketry Contest for over 17 years. "Art has brought enthusiasm and extensive model rocketry experience that enabled our team of just three freshman students to soar to great heights and win the 2021-22 competition,” Stein says.

Gibbens’ main goal when working with students is to help them understand the basic concepts of rocketry, encourage them to try new things, and gain experience putting things together. "This year, my role as mentor was a bit less hands-on and focused on giving gentle nudges to keep the team moving in the right direction. In some ways, the students excelled past my experience, especially in the Electrical Engineering and computer coding aspects of this year's contest," says Gibbens.

For this year’s competition, the team was required to construct and program its own computer to collect and transmit real-time flight data, followed by data and video transfer post-flight. They also had to achieve a second, higher-altitude flight within an hour of the first, maintaining focus and efficiency throughout the contest day. Gibbens explains that this year, the main goals were mastering spin control and accurately predicting flight altitude. There were also bonus points for calculating the rocket's position relative to the launch rod and transmitting this data to the ground.   

The team was organized into two main groups: airframe and electronics, each with further subdivisions. The airframe group split into sustainer, payload, and recovery sections, while the electronics group focused on building the main computer, coding it, video recording, and developing onboard altimeters for the recovery system. As the competition was split up into different challenges, each member had the opportunity to hone their field of interest or major. "On competition day, members applied what they had learned throughout the season, preparing the rocket for flight within competition time standards," says Engman.

This year, the team achieved Level 2 and Level 1 Certifications, while building on their knowledge from engineering and physics classes. "Their increased expertise contributed significantly to this year's rocket design and performance,” says Gibbens. Another significant addition this year was their recruitment of a senior computer engineering student, Chris Paffel ‘24, to assist with coding, aiding the team greatly.

The team scored more points than they had ever before, (out of 100 possible) and were confident they had done well. In their three years of competition, the team had frequently gone up against large and prestigious schools, adding stiff competition. “Yet, we figured out a way to win,” says Gibbens.

Along with their success, the team encountered challenges—which included getting many test launches up in the air. “The competition was based on our ability to construct a good rocket that wouldn't roll or spin in the air, along with collecting sensor data and using that to predict the height our flight was going to reach,” says Teigland.

“As one of the team's electrical engineering majors, I was more involved on the sensor side of the competition,” continues Teigland. “This was the first year the club had to do more than just collect data with our sensors—not only did we need to collect extremely reliable data, we needed to get our electronics up in the air as many times as possible which we did with smaller, cheaper rockets,” he says.

Due to the wet spring, the team found it extremely challenging to get live test flights up, so they had to do more ground tests than expected. This allowed them to test some, but not all of their systems. “So, when we were finally able to get a flight up, it took all of us to get the pre-competition report written and submitted while also making final revisions to the rocket,” Engman says.  

However, the team was able to push through and learn from new obstacles. “It takes a lot of preparation to have competition day go smoothly, but all of the pre-flight tests, late nights in the lab, and planning allowed us to move more efficiently than any other team,” Engman continues. Their extensive testing helped boost the team’s confidence that they would have successful numbers on competition day, their efforts going above and beyond what the competition required.

According to Gibbens, the team's unity and collaborative spirit were crucial in overcoming obstacles and achieving success. “These students have bonded, grown fond of one another, and have become a team in the truest sense of the word,” he says. 

Engman echoes this sentiment. "We created a great community with a common goal. Even when problems arose, everyone was willing to help. Since everyone is constantly learning, it sometimes requires us to take a step back and understand that we are all in this together. With everyone’s collaboration, we built the most complex rocket we've ever constructed for a competition," he concludes. 

The rocket team has brought students tremendous learning experiences and growth. For Stein, he’s witnessed the team as a whole evolve over the years, both personally and in technical proficiency. “As a faculty advisor, it has been gratifying to witness our students collaborate as a team and grow into their respective roles. Each student brings unique talents and technical expertise to the team experience,” says Stein.

For Teigland, being a member of the Rocket Club has benefitted him in terms of having the opportunity to see classroom learning come to life in practice. “It’s hard to describe how much growth Rocket Club has given me. There are moments in my internships or classes where I realize I’m being taught something I need to research for our rockets,” he says.

For Engman, being part of the club has provided space for hands-on learning that early engineering majors usually don’t come across. “I apply my coursework while learning real-world applications within my field of engineering. Being a leader or member of a club like this provides experiences that go beyond the classroom and will prepare me well for my first job after school.”

The team's aspirations extend beyond competition; they seek to inspire students and future generations of engineers and scientists through their achievements.

“We want to see the Bethel Rocket Club become a successful and stable opportunity for all students at Bethel. There is an opportunity to learn and grow in skill for every major in our rocket team, from fundraising and training to leading and teaching. Alongside that, we also want to make sure this club gives our Physics and Engineering students a chance to practice real-world engineering,” says Tiegland.

Looking ahead, the team has set ambitious aspirations to compete at the national level in the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico. However, achieving this milestone presents substantial financial and logistical hurdles, prompting the team to seek additional support from the community and potential sponsors.

While the funds from NASA Minnesota Space Grant Consortium and BSG continue to prop the team up in the Midwest competitions, they have to fundraise for much larger funds to compete in national competitions. To compete in the national Spaceport America Cup, the team will need to travel across the United States and will be required to design a larger-scale rocket that will travel to an altitude of 10,000-30,000 feet—so funding this poses difficulties. The team is still assessing their funding needs, but estimates from the high thousands to ten thousand range. “There is no doubt the team wants to go bigger,” says Tiegland.

Over the summer and into the beginning of the next year, the team will be working to get sponsorships that will allow them to compete in New Mexico. “If we go national, Spaceport will allow us to continue to grow in our knowledge while continuing to develop the team,” says Engman.

The rocketry team is excited about what the future holds, seeing the next step in their rocketry journey as a testament to their team’s hard work and strong bonds.  “With such a great community we have as a team, I’m confident that we will be successful in whatever challenge we face ahead,” says Engman.

For updates on their progress and opportunities to get involved, follow the Bethel University Rocket Team on Instagram (@burockets) and X (@bu_rocketry).  All images courtesy of Jason Sheard.

Gain hands-on experience at Bethel. 

The Bethel University Rocket Society (BURS) is one example of how you’ll gain hands-on experience at Bethel. Throughout all programs, students find many opportunities to apply classroom lessons in meaningful ways in and outside the classroom. To join or support BURS, contact Professor Keith Stein in the Department of Physics and Engineering.

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