{"669701":{"#nid":"669701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Honors Program Goes to Space (almost)!","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rocketry.gatech.edu\/teams\/gtxr\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech Experimental Rocketry\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (GTXR, or the Ramblin\u2019 Rocket Club) is a team of about 100 undergraduate students who\u2014for the past four years\u2014have been working towards the goal of being the first collegiate team to fly a two-stage sounding rocket to space.\u0026nbsp; On July 7, 2023, in the middle of the Mojave Desert, GTXR flew a rocket named\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMaterial Girl\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;that had a simulated apogee (the highest point in its trajectory) of 200,000 feet. It was a more powerful and streamlined rocket compared to the 2022 model and flew on solid rocket motors built by the team.\u0026nbsp; For the past several years, the GTXR rocket has launched with the help of people power and sponsorship support from the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/honorsprogram.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech Honors Program\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (HP).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJoey Gemini has served as the co-president for the last two years and handed over the leadership of the organization to Honors Program students Connor Johnson and Alfonso Lagares de Toledo when the rocket touched down from its launch (a GTXR tradition).\u0026nbsp; Gemini is an AE major from Chicago, IL who oversaw the vehicle\u0027s high-level development, manufacturing, and administrative operations in his role as co-president.\u0026nbsp; Of the Honors Program\u2019s involvement, Gemini said:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Honors Program was essential in supporting our launch effort as they generously covered the flight costs for HP students.\u0026nbsp; Our team strives to fund travel expenses for students so there is no barrier to entry to attend launch; the support and contributions from the Honors Program are key in making that possible.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EConnor Johnson, a third-year AE major from Midlothian, Virginia, is excited to step into the role of co-president and guide the design of next year\u2019s rockets, using the valuable information about two-stage rocket integration procedures and design improvements gained from the summer 2023 launch.\u0026nbsp; Johnson has been actively involved in undergraduate research on gas turbine engine emissions and worked with the GT Mobile STEM Laboratory VIP, which aims to create an array of science demonstrations to bring to K-12 schools.\u0026nbsp; He\u2019s also been an active participant in Honors Program classes and activities, with his favorite experience being in Dr. John Cressler\u0027s IAC 2002: Science, Engineering, and Religion class and the community that emerged from it.\u0026nbsp; He\u2019s also been an HP intramural sports champion, helping out the dodgeball, kickball, and softball teams.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn addition to Johnson and Lagares de Toledo who are serving as the incoming co-presidents, Honors Program students Morgan Gregg, Robert Ajluni, Joseph Clary, and Prem Pendkar are also on the team.\u0026nbsp; Morgan is a second-year AE major from Huntersville, NC.\u0026nbsp; The experience gained from GTXR has led to her finding her \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Efooting in avionics, where she will be continuing next year as the Supporting Systems Lead.\u0026nbsp; Morgan is involved with Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics and serves as a mentor at the Aero Maker Space.\u0026nbsp; Morgan reports that her involvement with the close-knit community of the Honors Program has led to her meeting people who are now among her closest friends at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Honors Program is proud of the HP student members and leadership of the GTXR and looks forward to an even more impressive launch in 2024!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou can read an additional story about the launch \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/07\/ramblin-rocket-club-takes-rocketry-new-heights\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eonline\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E or follow GTXR on \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gt_xr\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EInstagram\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGTXR rocket team has a successful launch with Honors Program student leadership and sponsorship support.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GTXR rocket team has a successful launch with Honors Program student leadership and sponsorship support."}],"uid":"27332","created_gmt":"2023-09-16 02:14:32","changed_gmt":"2023-09-16 02:23:56","author":"Amy D\u0027Unger","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671723":{"id":"671723","type":"image","title":"GTXR_rocket1","body":null,"created":"1694830529","gmt_created":"2023-09-16 02:15:29","changed":"1694830529","gmt_changed":"2023-09-16 02:15:29","alt":"GTXR summer 2023 rocket launch","file":{"fid":"254831","name":"image_from_ios-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/15\/image_from_ios-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/15\/image_from_ios-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":39319,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/15\/image_from_ios-1.jpg?itok=JKKxcF09"}},"671724":{"id":"671724","type":"image","title":"GTXR_rocket2","body":null,"created":"1694830529","gmt_created":"2023-09-16 02:15:29","changed":"1694830529","gmt_changed":"2023-09-16 02:15:29","alt":"Honors Program sticker on the GTXR rocket","file":{"fid":"254832","name":"IMG-20230718-WA0000.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/15\/IMG-20230718-WA0000.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/15\/IMG-20230718-WA0000.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":162657,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/15\/IMG-20230718-WA0000.jpg?itok=PM2rVcRF"}}},"media_ids":["671723","671724"],"groups":[{"id":"72437","name":"John H. Martinson Honors Program"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"4201","name":"honors program"},{"id":"7220","name":"HP"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}