Participants Dedicate Two Months To Construct High-flying Rocket For MRC 2024

PASIR SALAK, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- A team of six individuals, comprising instructor and students from the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM), dedicated nearly two months to constructing a rocket capable of soaring over one kilometre into the air.

Team leader, Assoc Prof Dr Syed Mohd Fairuz Syed Mohd Dardin, said that producing the 1.5-metre-tall rocket, 4 KRAM, was no easy feat as it required meticulous attention, particularly in translating the design into a physical form.

He also emphasised the importance of accurately calculating the rocket’s centre of gravity to ensure a smooth launch without technical issues.

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“We began the process around July by designing the rocket using the ‘open rocket’ software. After completing the design phase, we moved on to the physical construction.

“This step was time-consuming, as we had to carefully select the right materials and consider the weight capacity to ensure the rocket could reach the desired distance,” he told Bernama when met at the Institute of Leadership and Development (ILD) UiTM Kampung Gajah here yesterday.

UPNM was one of the seven higher learning institutions competing in the One-Kilometre Rocket category at the Malaysia Rocket Competition 2024 (MRC 2024), held from Sept 3 until yesterday.

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UPNM secured third place in the Category 3: University Teams.

The competition also featured two other categories, the Can-Size Satellite and Can-Size SatelliteR, with participation from 24 schools, including those from Singapore, Indonesia and India.

Meanwhile, Syed Mohd Fairuz said the competition is an excellent platform for expanding knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to greater heights.

“This method not only ignites interest but also enhances the knowledge of students who may have previously only learned design concepts through software.

“However, this competition challenges them to build a rocket physically. I believe this is a valuable opportunity that students should take full advantage of,” said the UPNM Centre for Students’ Excellence and Leadership director.

Meanwhile, Zulfahmi Mohamad Sapawi, a supervising teacher from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bagan Terap, said their rocket, BT Rocket, was developed starting in July and involved six students from Forms One to Three.

“At the beginning, we were invited by UiTM, the organiser, to attend a workshop in UiTM Shah Alam. There, we were taught the techniques for building a rocket.

“After returning from the course, we began working, and this resulted in the creation of the BT Rocket,” he said.

The 1.9-metre-tall BT Rocket is equipped with an Arduino sensor that can detect temperature, pressure and humidity in the surrounding environment, as well as a Global Positioning System (GPS) to help track the rocket’s location during after launch.

-- BERNAMA