Jim, do you know anything about the student initiative events? usually sponsored by NASA, Spaceport America, various collegial & university campuses?
These are [international] competitions which students (universities generally) get to design & build a rocket (and payload!) to meet certain challenges. It's a chance for these student to put forth all they've learnt & work together as a team, over multiple disciplines.
But sadly, these event lack mentors. Sure, they have the professors, and other academics to help push them along. but all teams lack actual rocket experience. Since Spaceport linked up with TRA, TRA asked that there be more involvement from the rocket community (from what I understand). It is recognized that these student are essentially doing an L3 attempt as their first real foray into rocketry, so some actual experience is needed / wanted / required.. And where do you get a pool of advanced / experienced rocketeers?!?
Some of these teams are also designing & building their own liquid engines.. Paraffin & nitrous typically, but there are some unique advancements..
This particular team I'm judging / helping / mentoring (loosely) is in the 'basic' category, and they have an ambitious goal of 60,000ft, hence the O8000. Can this team do it? Very likely. They have ranked in the top percentile over the years at Spaceport & IREC competitions.. (Not bad for a French technical university that has barely been around for the past 2 or 3 decades in downtown Montreal - Montreal fields abut 5 teams to Spaceport..)
I may be a lowly NAR L2, but I am trying to help our future engineers & help boost a rocket industry in Canada.. I may not know much,. but I do know when & where to ask a question, and that this is something I need / want to know..
And Jim, I can say the same about your posts: first impressions.. ;D
https://clubrockets.ca/
https://spaceportamericacup.com/https://www.soundingrocket.org/what-is-irec.htmlhttps://www.nasa.gov/stem/studentlaunch/home/index.htmlhttp://www.launchcanada.org/
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