STORY BY
Julie Warchol

Just as space is always expanding, so is the aerospace industry needed to explore it. Students all over campus have shown increased interest in the ever-changing, ever-expanding world outside of our atmosphere and are seeking to be involved in real life projects where they can take their passions to new ~heights~. These types of projects can be found in the next organization in our #MosaicGoesClubbing series: The Alabama Rocketry Association.

alabama rocket association

This club is a student-run organization that allows those interested in aerospace to gain hands-on rocket building experience. The Alabama Rocketry Association, ARA, provides members with assistance as they design and build their own rocket, giving each member the opportunity to earn a Level 1 High Power Rocketry certification after the completion of this process. The Alabama Rocketry Association encourages its members to experiment with a variety of designs and techniques and provides all the tools necessary to successfully launch a rocket.

 

Students involved in ARA also get the opportunity to volunteer with local grade schools to help younger generations stem their interests in rocketry and the aerospace industry. In addition, ARA sponsors a junior team every year that creates their own rocket in preparation for senior design.

alabama rocket association

Jane Gillette, an ARA executive team member and project manager of the ARA-sponsored junior team said, “ARA has given me valuable hands on experience to truly complement my engineering education here at UA, making my classes more interesting and my time on campus more beneficial.”

This club was founded in 2015 with the purpose of providing students with a way to jumpstart their aerospace interests while individually gaining hands-on rocket experience. The current president is Karson Holmes, and you can get involved by emailing him kwholmes1@crimson.ua.edu to get more information or to get involved in next years team!