International Rocket Engineering Competition 2026
Winner of Live Video Challenge, 9th in 10K COTS Category, 13th Overall, 2nd Best Technical Report
In 2026, our team successfully launched and recovered our rocket, Sabre III, marking our third successful year at the IREC and our second trophy in a row!
Sabre III
| Height | 10.3 ft |
| Diameter | 6 in |
| Launch Mass | 73.3 lb |
| Motor | Aerotech M2500 |
| Airframe | G12 Fiberglass |
| Competition Apogee | 9277 ft |
Team Leadership
| Project Manager | Anne Marie Branch |
| Chief Engineer | Edison Wong |
| Safety Lead | Abishekh Gurindapalli |
| Systems Lead | Emma Lubeshkoff |
| Software Lead | Chris Wood |
| Electronic Hardware Lead | Bobby Downey |
| Aerostructures Lead | Albert Castellon-Prado |
| Recovery Lead | Jameson Phelps |
| Airbrakes Lead | Anderson Garner |
| Payload Lead | Richard Zhou |
Team Application Submitted
The team submitted our proposal for IREC 2026
Team Acceptance
We reached another milestone by being accepted into the world’s largest intercollegiate rocketry competition for the third time.
1st Interim Progress Report Submitted
Preliminary Design Review (PDR) Report completed.
2nd Interim Progress Report Submitted
Critical Design Review (CDR) Report completed.
Sabre III Subscale Launch 1
The team successfully test launched Sabre III to over 3600 ft, verifying the structural integrity of our subsystems.
Sabre III Subscale Launch 2
When the intended full scale test launch at Bayboro, NC was canceled due to a burn ban, the team pivoted and performed another successful and useful subscale.
Video Flight Readiness Review Completed
Sabre II successfully passed a virtual safety review in preparation for the competition.
3rd Interim Progress Report Submitted
Depicted our successful test events.
Technical Report Submitted
All final deliverables completed.
Competition Week
A team of 25 members traveled back to Midland, Texas. After several dusty days, Sabre III launched to 9277 ft with a flawless live video feed. The team walked away with the Live Video trophy, 13th overall, and the 2nd best technical report.