SBHS Aerospace
Tryouts
Tryouts
Tryouts for this year's competitive teams are over. You can still join the club as a general member any time, with no tryout and no experience needed.
How tryouts work
Each competitive team picks its members through tryouts, which we hold in the summer and in October.
You sign up for the teams you're interested in, then do one assignment for a skill that team needs, like CAD, OpenRocket, coding, electronics, or a research proposal. Teams are picked from those results. You can see which skills each team uses in the table on the Club page.
Watch the Google Classroom for next year's dates.
2026-27 Round 2 assignments
These were due October 10. We've left them up so you can see what a tryout looks like.
1. CAD: Fin can design
Goal: Use any CAD software (the club usually uses Onshape) to design a fin can that inserts into the bottom of a model rocket. Extra engineering details are encouraged.
Parameters
- Must fit in a BT-80 body tube.
- Must be realistic to 3D print.
Submission
- CAD file or link.
- Typed paragraph (250 words max) explaining fin count, shape, dimensions, and any extra features.
2. Simulation: OpenRocket
Goal: Use OpenRocket to design a rocket that would score under 10 points in the 2026 American Rocketry Challenge and follows the 2026 ARC rules.
Parameters
- Apogee: 750 ft. Duration: 36 to 39 seconds.
- Payload: one raw egg (55 g). Gross liftoff weight under 650 g.
- Diameter: BT-80 body tube. Length: over 650 mm.
- Motor: any ARC-approved motor. Recovery: parachute and shock cord.
Submission
.orkfile.- Typed explanation (250 words max) covering arrangement, stability, and challenges.
3. Computer Science: Create a program
Goal: Write a program that interacts with hardware, processes data, or solves an aerospace-related problem, such as sensor data collection, an autonomous control system, flight calculations, or data analysis.
Requirements
- Written in C/C++, Python, or a similar language.
- Comments explaining important sections of code.
- Graphs, charts, and visuals are encouraged.
Submission
- Code files or GitHub repository.
- Screenshots or video of the program working.
- Typed explanation (250 words max).
- Presentation of at least 5 slides: purpose, problem, how it works, challenges.
4. Electronics: KiCad schematic
Goal: Design a KiCad schematic for an aerospace-related project, such as airbrakes, thrust vectoring, a weather station, or a drone.
Requirements
- A complete schematic with microcontrollers, sensors, and power systems, plus actuators or communication parts if needed.
- All major components and connections labeled.
- Explain each major part and how the system would work in a real aerospace application.
Submission
- KiCad schematic file and a screenshot.
- Typed explanation (250 words max): purpose, component choices, operation, and possible improvements.
5. Mechanical: Build diagram
Goal: Create a detailed diagram for a competition build: a rocket for the American Rocketry Challenge, a robot for MATE ROV, a drone for the Aerial Drone Competition, or a rover for the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge.
Requirements
- Follow the competition’s rules and research the parts needed.
- Clear, scaled diagram with all parts labeled.
Submission
- Hand-drawn or computer-drawn diagram.
- Typed explanation (300 words max).
Skills 6 to 9: Research question
Goal: Identify a research question in physics, chemistry, biology, or another science that you would investigate in the club. For NASA TechRise, Genes in Space, or Cubes in Space, keep that competition’s rules in mind.
Submission
- Typed description (300 words minimum) with the question, why you chose it, brief background, and methodology.
Skills 6 to 9: Engineering problem
Goal: Identify an aerospace engineering problem and propose an experiment, analysis, or solution.
Submission
- Typed document (300 words minimum) covering the problem, background, a brief literature review, significance, and a detailed proposal with calculations, assumptions, and diagrams as needed.
Optional: Resume or portfolio
Engineering projects (photos, diagrams, code), work experience, extracurriculars, and relevant coursework. Not having past projects did not count against applicants.
Questions about tryouts
Email the team leads, or write to sbhsaerospace@gmail.com.