SEARCY, Arkansas USA — Talk of rockets, building robots, and life on distant planets may be something expected at state-of-the-art NASA research sites or a local theatre in the center of town. What is not expected is to find them in your backyard.

Harding University students Chaeli Nelson, left, and Brianna Meek stay busy sanding a competition rocket airframe. The students will participate in a collegiate rocket building competition this spring.

White County citizens may be surprised to discover these very events taking place by a handful of students and staff members at Harding University in Searcy. Then again, given Harding’s progressive academic programs, this might not seem as out of the ordinary as first perceived.

For the last two years Harding University has been privileged with the opportunity to participate in NASA’s University Student Launch Initiative. The program, as described by Harding’s team advisor Dr. Edmond Wilson, is designed to “give students experience going through the engineering process that a NASA engineer would go through.”

The Initiative is very demanding, requiring each team to essentially build a rocket carrying a scientific payload to travel exactly one mile high.

The challenge involves six steps. First, the team must submit a proposal which is evaluated by real life engineers at NASA. Second, a preliminary design review (PDR) is submitted. After the PDR is submitted, a CDR or critical design review is then created.

Pieces of this design were shown in 3-D format by member Greg Lyons. When the design is completed, a laser will then cut the pieces needed to produce the rocket depicted from the computer program. When all reports are submitted and critiqued, flight readiness and the actual launch follow. Upon completion of the actual launch of the rocket, a final report is submitted and the teams are then ranked.

This year’s group has been named the Harding University Flying Bison Rocket.

The team consists of nine students varying in majors from engineering and physics to nursing and pre-pharmacy. The students also range from freshman to senior undergraduates. The diverse make up is not the only uniqueness associated with this year’s team from Harding. The Flying Bison Rocket Team is the only team in the challenge to use a hybrid motor which for all intents and purposes means a safer rocket. Opposing teams all use gunpowder which can pose a great danger if handled improperly. Also, the fuel chosen by the team is the same type fuel used on Spaceship 1.

The Harding University Flying Bison Rocket Team is lead by Senior Brett Keller whose experience with rockets date back to the age of six. Keller is also a distinguished recipient of the Truman Scholar Award. This experience coupled with the direction of Wilson and the new hybrid motor could propel Harding into a different league in the world of rocket building.

Wilson is currently being funded by NASA for research projects of his own, including rocket building. Wilson and the Flying Bison team will compete in the program this spring.

The members are listed at random: David Stair, Paul Elliott, Greg Lyons, Aaron Howell, Kent Sheldon, Megan Bush, Brett Keller, Chaeli Nelson, and Brianna Meek. A page dedicated to the team can be found on the Harding University Web site.

Copyright © 2008, The Daily Citizen.