Many students are involved in societies throughout the year. I spoke to two Physics students who are members of Endeavour, the student rocketry team, to find out more about their experiences in student rocketry.
Jo Shepton, 4th year MPhys Astrophysics Student, has been involved with Endeavour since the very first rocket day and is now the technical lead for the Darwin team.
How did you find out about Endeavour, and what made you want to join?
“I found out about endeavour when they ran a rocket day in January 2019 aimed at university students. I was in first year and signed up immediately as I thought ‘who wouldn’t want to do rocketry!’. We got together in small groups to build model rockets which carried an egg payload which had to be protected, and launched them in Holyrood park with the help of someone who is very active in the student rocketry community. After that they were accepting applications, so I applied and ended up in structures. I then went on to become the payload lead the following year and now I am the technical lead of our rocketry team, Darwin.”
Can you tell me more about your current position as the technical lead for Darwin?
“My job is to make sure that all the subteam leads (structures, recovery, payload, avionics, software and controls + simulations) have the resources they need to run their teams smoothly. This comes in the form of weekly meetings to discuss progress, sort out logistics, provide a fresh set of eyes and much more. I also provide risk assessments and manufacturability advice where needed.”
What have you gained from the experience of being part of Endeavour?
“I have gained so much experience in a field I never even knew I was interested in before applying to university. Doing an astrophysics degree is very theoretical and everything I do in engineering is the complete opposite. Every task has to be completed with the goal of physically launching a rocket in mind. Endeavour quickly makes engineers out of anybody, no matter the degree background. It’s made me reconsider what I want to do after university, and I now know that I eventually want to end up in the space industry! I’ve also developed so many soft skills applicable to any career, such as presentation skills, time management, people management and leadership.”
Do you have any advice for somebody looking to join the team, are there any particular skills they should have?
“When thinking about joining the team, one of the things we look for the most is enthusiasm and reliability. Endeavour is a commitment and takes more work than a regular society, but is incredibly rewarding. Key skills depend heavily on the subteam – in structural teams, having CAD knowledge is always a bonus while in avionics having any knowledge of electronics will be helpful and in software, C++ coding is generally looked for. However, with the right attitude and willingness to stick at it, these skills can be quickly learned! ”
Patricia Van de Walle Suárez, 3rd year MPhys Astrophysics Student, runs the outreach team.
How did you find out about Endeavour, and what made you want to join?
“During my first year, while browsing through the limitless list of societies,
Endeavour really caught my eye. However, it wasn’t until a friend of mine
went to their welcome event during freshers and told me all about their
projects and outreach team, that I finally decided to join.”
Can you tell me more about your current position as the outreach team lead?
“My mission is to help spread the word about Endeavour’s projects with my outreach peers. Our main goal is to make the field more accessible and the community excited about rocketry, by showing them what’s happening behind the scenes. So in a way, we the outreach team, are the Carl Sagans and Neil deGrasse Tysons of Endeavour.”
What have you gained from the experience of being part of Endeavour?
“Endeavour has helped me to work better with groups, especially learning how
to collaborate with people of different degrees and getting a taste of what
working on real scientific projects looks like. Also, I have learned skills from
other STEM areas thanks to some of my peers!”
How did you find the application process and the experience of joining the
team?
“The application process was great. I would recommend it to anyone passionate about rocketry and scientific research. If you are ready to learn more about this and want to put into practice what they teach you in class, the team will welcome you with open arms. ”
Learn more
Find out more about the Endeavour student rocket society:
