Photo from the Facebook page of ADDU
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 23 June) – The Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) Rocketry Team successfully launched its high-powered rocket on Saturday during the Spaceport America Cup held in La Cruces in New Mexico, US.
The team’s rocket, “Sibol,” which means growth in Filipino, was the first and only entry from the Philippines in the world’s largest intercollegiate rocket engineering conference and competition, and is one of four entries from Asia. Two teams from Thailand and another one from Taiwan are also competing.
In a press release issued by ADDU on Sunday, Engr. Ramon Gregorio III, the team’s faculty technical adviser, said the rocket launch was originally set for June 21 but was hampered by strong winds, rains, and clouds, which were not ideal flight conditions.
The competition drew 200 teams from 20 countries all over the world.
According to ADDU, the directors of Spaceport America praised the successful launch of the rocket, which competed in the commercial off-the-shelf 10,000-feet category, calling it a “great achievement” for a first-timer team.
The ADDU Rocketry Team. Photo from the Facebook page of ADDU
The rocket was developed by the students and faculty of ADDU, the only university in Mindanao offering Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering.
Dr. Rogel Mari D. Sese, chair of the university’s Aerospace Engineering Department, said the team safely recovered the rocket after it landed on the ground.
He said the rocketry team worked on the development of the rocket for a year and passed the rigorous Flight Readiness Review.
In a press conference last June 10, Sese said the competition is not just about reaching the highest altitude but will be more of a “precision competition,” making sure that “everything works properly based on the mission design of the rocket.”
“Their tireless efforts in making this dream becoming a reality is something that we have all aspired to do in the past few months. And what you can see is the result of months of tireless work and labor done by everyone in the team to make this reality, so that we can push the Philippines towards greater heights, to newer ventures and eventually reach for the stars,” he said.
He said reaching the finals is already a significant achievement for ADDU and the Philippines as the rocketry team was competing against more experienced teams from different parts of the world.
“The act of launching the rocket in New Mexico is already a testament of what we can achieve as Filipinos and this would serve as our first step, hopefully taking part also in future competitions with increasing levels of difficulty, to push the boundaries for innovation,” he said.
The team, consisting of 10 students and three faculty members, arrived in Los Angeles last June 13 and made a courtesy call at the Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines before heading for New Mexico for the event scheduled from June 17 to 22.
According to the consulate, the cup is the “world’s largest inter-collegiate rocket competition, wherein teams from the best rocket engineering universities in the world compete to launch different rockets and vie for various mission awards.”
Sese said they hope to position Davao as a hub for aerospace innovation and technology.
“Why do we launch rockets from here? Because we have a very good geography in terms of location-wise. We have a very good geography for launching rockets, not just as test launches, but eventually in the future we can launch rockets also into outer space because we have the whole seaboard on the eastern side,” he said.
He said one of the biggest functions of rocket technology is launching satellites into outer space.
He said satellites play a very integral role in day-to-day life, which includes the use of mobile phones, communication, global positioning system or GPS, and weather forecasting.
“Without the capacity to bring satellites and other space objects into outer space, we would not be able to enjoy a lot of the conveniences of modern society that we have now, so this is where aerospace engineering and space technology comes in our everyday life,” he said
Sese added that the university would “continue to develop better rockets and other space technologies that can contribute not only to academic research but also to the betterment of society and humanity.” (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
