The AstroJays Rocketry Team is a multidisciplinary, student-led team that builds advanced rocket systems with the goal of increasing the number of aerospace engineering opportunities on the Homewood campus.
The AstroJays are composed of 4 subsystems: Avionics, Propulsion, Structures, and Flight Operations, each of which focus on one aspect of our rockets.
— Avionics gathers data from a variety of sensors placed within the rocket and on the propulsion system, using its data to determine its flight path, and sending diagnostics back to a ground station.
–Propulsion develops and implements commercial and custom propulsion systems. Currently developing a hybrid rocket motor.
–Structures ensures that the rocket is its lightest, while staying aerodynamic and retaining its structural integrity throughout the entire flight (externally and internally).
–Flight Ops is responsible for management of the high-power certification flight program as well as safe and consistent rocket recovery through the deployment of parachutes.
Working together as a team, these subsystems develop advanced rocket systems. Our team of more than 30 students are all hard at work to make each launch count.
Interested undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to reach out to us at hopkinsrocketry@gmail.com, contact us through Hopkins Groups, or come to one of our scheduled events.
Joining an engineering club is a fantastic addition to your JHU career. You will work with people from different majors, ages, and backgrounds, and gain hands-on experience in a booming field. For many first-year students, you will be exposed to new material much earlier than you would be in your coursework, and will have the chance to work with and learn from upperclassmen.
Additionally, the AstroJays maintains strong connections to its alumni, who have gone on to work at companies such as Blue Origin, SpaceX, and more.
Our current goal is to successfully compete in a high-powered rocketry competition at the end of the school year. This could be FAR 1030, hosted by the National Rocketry Association, or the Spaceport America Cup, hosted by Virgin Galactic.
For the last several years, we have been working on a hybrid-fuel rocket engine and its accompanying systems. Our engine has been successfully hot-fired and cold-flow tested, and we hope to be able to launch it soon.