Can’t bottle up lessons learned: Engineering students fly high with rocket competition

USCA’s students are engineering new ways to put the lessons they’ve learned in the classroom to the test during the Engineering Student Association’s bottle rocket competition. 

“This event is important because it allows students to utilize the knowledge they've gained in their classes and apply it to a hands-on situation. Engineering is a very hands-on degree, and you don't get the same impact from writing notes that you would from engaging with a project,” said Sabrina Foster, a mechanical engineering major.   

“An event like this bridges the gap between theory and reality. I hope that participants get a real understanding of science concepts, design thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity.” 

During the inaugural contest, students had to build their own bottle rockets, using prescribed materials and criteria. Students could use model rocket motors but only with the approval of the ESA executive board.  

Safety was key, and no explosives or dangerous chemicals were allowed. Additional precautions were taken, including a fire plan and spectator protections. 

“It was very interesting to see everyone's different thought processes and approaches to the problem. We had students that used air pressure, others that used a chemical reaction, and a team that used a chemical reaction and fire. No one worked on the project by themselves, so they got a taste of what a real group project in our field may feel like.” 

The deciding factor on the winning design was the amount of time the bottle rocket spent in the air.  The top team’s rocket spent 16 seconds airborne. In all, four teams competed for a trophy, bragging rights and gift cards.  

“A bottle rocket competition requires students to use ideas learned in classes in a visible way. An example of this is the laws we observe in physics, such as those related to gravity and air resistance,” Foster said. “They had to calculate the air pressure required to launch the bottle. They had to calculate how much air resistance a parachute might provide, so they could maintain a longer time in the air. They had to determine how much mass would be too much for the bottle to launch.” 

Foster says that soft skills — such as problem-solving, patience, resilience, communication, teamwork and adaptability — used during the conception, design, testing and launching phases will also prove beneficial for participating students.   

“All of these are important skills in the real world. You can take what you learned from working as a team and apply that to your next group project, and we have a lot of those. Any communication issues they may have run into can now be kept in mind for future issues. Finally, problem solving. We presented them with a challenge, very limited rules, and it was up to them to come up with a solution,” said Foster, USCA ’28. 

“These are all skills they will have to use in their careers. Any type of event where students have to build something is going to challenge their critical thinking skills and their ability to solve problems.” 

Foster says some teams had challenges to overcome prior to launch. Some rockets would go sideways or would go off indiscriminately, without the team’s control.  

“These are problems they faced, and had to solve, to ensure they could compete. Engineering is a career full of problems, and gaining those skills early on will only serve them well in the long run.” 

These types of engaging, experiential and collaborative opportunities are part of what attracted Foster to the university from Moncks Corner, South Carolina. 

“I chose USCA because of the smaller, community feel. Since I took the first tour, I was told, people are not just a number here, that the faculty and staff actually care about you as a person and as a student,” she said. 

“I didn't want a school where there would be a line around the block to go to a teacher's office hours; I wanted a school where I felt valued. I've definitely found that, especially in the engineering program. Everyone knows everyone.” 

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