Embedded Files
Mission
Mission
Magnolia is the University of Georgia Rocketry Team's third-generation IREC competition rocket, designed to reach a target apogee of 10,000 feet while carrying an integrated biomedical payload. The vehicle incorporates student-developed airbrakes, live telemetry, dual deployment recovery, and the HEART biomedical experiment.Â
Competition Performance
Magnolia builds upon several years of continuous improvement at the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition.Â
Year Catagory Finish Overall Finish
  2024  10th of 83 teams 19th of 158 teams
  2025     6th of 87 teams   10th of 170+ teams
Quick Stats
Target Altitude 10,000 ft
Height 2.3 m
Diameter 6 in
Liftoff Mass 28 kg
Motor CTI M3400 White Thunder
Competition IREC COTS 10k
Team Size 26 students
Payload
Payload
The HEART (Heart-Valve Effectiveness under Applied Rocket Thrust) experiment evaluates the performance of a mechanical heart valve during rocket acceleration using simulated blood flow, onboard pumps, sensors, and data logging.
Mechanical Heart Valve
2nd Gen Airbrakes
2nd Gen Airbrakes
Precision Flight Control Through Adaptive Drag
One of Magnolia's defining innovations is its Student-Researched and Developed (SRAD) airbrake system. Unlike traditional rockets that coast freely after motor burnout, Magnolia actively adjusts its aerodynamic drag during flight to accurately target the competition altitude of 10,000 feet.
The system deploys three independently engineered airbrake flaps after burnout, allowing the rocket to compensate for changing wind conditions, atmospheric density, and launch variability in real time. By increasing drag only when necessary, Magnolia minimizes overshoot while maintaining stable flight throughout ascent.
How It Works
How It Works
The airbrake assembly is housed in its own dedicated bay within the aft section of the rocket. During powered flight, the flaps remain fully retracted to minimize aerodynamic drag. After motor burnout, the onboard avionics continuously monitor flight conditions- including altitude and velocity- and determine whether additional drag is needed.
When commanded, a custom ball-screw actuation system extends the three airbrake flaps outward from the airframe. The amount of extension is continuously adjusted through a PWM-controlled actuator, allowing the system to precisely regulate drag throughout the coast phase.
Engineering Improvements
Engineering Improvements
Magnolia's airbrakes represent a significant evolution from the previous design.
Magnolia's airbrakes represent a significant evolution from the previous design.
Previous Design
Previous Design
Servo motor actuation
Three deployable plates
Stack-style mechanical assembly
Magnolia Design
Magnolia Design
Precision ball-screw linkage actuation
Three optimized deployable flaps
Redesigned stack-style assembly
Increased mechanical stiffness
Improved reliability
Greater control authority throughout flight
The redesign increases both the available drag force and the precision of deployment, enabling more accurate altitude control under varying flight conditions.
Why Do Airbrakes Matter?
Why Do Airbrakes Matter?
Without active drag control, small variations in motor performance or weather conditions can cause a rocket to significantly overshoot or undershoot its target altitude.
Magnolia's airbrake system enables the team to:
Achieve a more accurate 10,000-foot target apogee
Reduce sensitivity to environmental conditions
Improve flight consistency between launches
Demonstrate advanced closed-loop flight control
Validate student-designed hardware in real flight
This capability transforms Magnolia from a purely ballistic vehicle into an actively controlled sounding rocket designed for precision performance. The technical report notes that the team's goal is to use the SRAD airbrakes, together with a new live telemetry system, to meet the 10,000-foot target through a compact, efficient, and cost-effective design.
The Engineering Impact
The Engineering Impact
Beyond competition rankings, Magnolia served as a multidisciplinary engineering project that integrated:
Systems engineering and project management
Composite and structural design
Aerodynamics and flight simulation
Embedded systems and avionics
Biomedical payload development
Manufacturing and CNC machining
Flight testing and data analysis
Every major subsystem was developed, manufactured, assembled, tested, and integrated by students working across specialized technical teams, closely mirroring the workflow of a professional aerospace program.
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