The Structural Design and Analysis team is responsible for designing rockets for the large rocketry team, as well as performing simulations and physical testing of the rockets’ structural characteristics and aerodynamic behavior during ascent and descent. The team delves deep into the science of aerospace, using numerical methods and specialized tools to create accurate models of each rocket component. Among these tools are ANSYS, a powerful Finite Element Analysis/Computational Fluid Dynamics software used to simulate the behavior of even the most complex aerodynamic surfaces. Several purpose-built tools for rocketry are also commonly used to simulate stability and  flight trajectories, including OpenRocket, RASAero, and SILSIM, a 6 degree of freedom software-in-the-loop simulation engine that is in development by ISS’s own Spaceshot team. 

In addition to simulations work, the Structural Design and Analysis team also works on creating detailed models of each rocket in Siemens NX and OpenRocket, which serve as guidelines for manufacturing and integration. Furthermore, the team conceptualizes methods for the physical testing of each rocket’s airframe, leveraging a variety of specialized machinery to replicate the thousands of Newtons experienced by the airframe during flight. 

The utility of the work done by the Structural Design and Analysis team is large-scale, with its design and simulation work impacting nearly every other Spaceshot team in a meaningful way. In supplying the theoretical backbone to the practical engineering done by Spaceshot, the team informs the work behind every rocket.

Membership in the Structural Design and Analysis team requires NO prior experience. Being a part of the team offers valuable experience in the following areas:

• Finite Element Analysis/Computational Fluid Dynamics

• Computer-Aided Design

• OpenRocket/RASAero

• SILSIM

• Python

• Aerospace Numerical Methods

• Materials Testing

• Thermodynamics