Base 11 Space Challenge trains 125 students on liquid propulsion system safety
Participants in the Base 11 Space Challenge gathered for the first time last weekend, when 125 students representing more than 30 teams attended safety training. This was the first training of its kind bringing together experts from across the US and Canada with the specific purpose of improving safety among student teams that are developing liquid propulsion rockets.
University of Toronto
Teams congregated at three locations and connected with each other via video conference from Cal State Long Beach, Purdue University, and University of Toronto. One team drove 15 hours to participate, and two students even flew across the Atlantic.
Purdue University
The day-and-a-half long training, which was mandatory for Safety Officers on teams participating in the Base 11 Space Challenge, covered topics ranging from safety mindset and the importance of procedures, to system design and high-pressure systems.
At the conclusion of the training, 98% of the students surveyed said they felt more prepared to handle safety concerns with their team.
Cal State Long Beach
The training featured lectures from the following experts:
- Scott Meyers, director of Purdue University’s Zucrow Labs, the world’s largest academic propulsion lab
- Larry Piggott, who provides technical support for NASA’s Rocket Propulsion Test Program Office at NASA-Stennis
- Adam Trumpour, who designs turbine engines for Pratt & Whitney Canada, co-founded Continuum Aerospace, and mentors Canadian rocketry teams
- Mark Holthaus, systems engineer at Boeing and head of safety for Friends of Amateur Rocketry, licensed California pyrotechnic operator for 1st class rockets
- Michael Hom, lecturer in chemical engineering at CSULB and Safety Officer for their rocketry program
Learn more about the Base 11 Space Challenge at www.base11spacechallenge.org.