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Where It All Began
Where It All Began
UpDawg marked the University of Georgia Student Aerospace Initiative's inaugural entry into the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC). Designed as a 10,000-foot commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sounding rocket, the project brought together students across multiple engineering disciplines to design, manufacture, integrate, and test a full-scale launch vehicle from the ground up.
Quick Stats
Height 10 ft
Diameter 6 in
Category IREC COTS 10k
Competition Spaceport America Cup
Payload VIPER
Team 16 students
Viper Payload
Viper Payload
The VIPER payload investigated the use of piezoelectric sensors to monitor the structural health of embedded components during powered flight. During ascent, a solenoid-induced change in a steel beam's natural frequency allowed the system to evaluate whether piezoelectric patches could detect structural changes under launch vibration.
Avionics Bay
Avionics Bay
The avionics bay served as the central control system for recovery operations, integrating dual barometric altimeters, GPS tracking, custom 3D-printed electronics mounts, and redundant deployment systems. The modular design simplified manufacturing, maintenance, and future iterations.
Structures
Structures
Engineering the Foundation
Engineering the Foundation
The structural subsystem provided the strength, stability, and reliability needed to safely deliver the payload to 10,000 feet. Built around a modular architecture, the launch vehicle integrated fiberglass airframes, custom-machined bulk plates, and dedicated payload, recovery, and avionics sections into a lightweight yet robust design.
Composite Airframe Design
Composite Airframe Design
UpDawg utilized G-12 fiberglass for its primary airframe, offering an ideal balance of strength, weight, cost, and manufacturability. Material trade studies showed that while carbon fiber offered higher strength, G-12 fiberglass provided more than enough structural performance for the mission while remaining practical for a student-built launch vehicle.
Legacy
Legacy
UpDawg established the technical foundation for every UGA IREC vehicle that followed. The project introduced the team's first full-scale systems engineering workflow, custom avionics architecture, dual-deployment recovery system, and research payload integration. The experience gained in designing, manufacturing, testing, and launching UpDawg directly influenced future competition rockets, creating a repeatable engineering process for new generations of students.
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