SAU Rocket Workshop reaches new heights at Magnolia Municipal Airport

Southern Arkansas University’s annual High-Powered Rocket Workshop sent student-built rockets into the sky at the Magnolia Municipal Airport, capping off a four-day program in rocket design, engineering and flight.

Held in June, the workshop welcomed approximately 30 high school students, undergraduate students, teachers, and college faculty members from across Arkansas. During the four-day program, participants lived on SAU’s campus, worked in collaborative teams, and gained practical experience in rocket design, manufacturing, instrumentation, flight preparation, and recovery.

The workshop was supported by the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium through a $30,000 grant secured by Dr. Abdel Bachri, dean of SAU’s College of Science and Engineering. Funding from ASGC and NASA allowed participants to attend the program and use specialized equipment, materials, software, and facilities throughout the week.

Rather than observing demonstrations, participants completed nearly every stage of the rocketry process themselves. Teams began by developing and testing digital models using OpenRocket simulation software. They then moved into SAU’s physics laboratories and engineering facilities to manufacture components, prepare fins, create customized parts, assemble airframes, and install recovery and flight-monitoring systems.

Read the full article on Saumag.edu

Author Credit: SAU Mag

Image Credit: SAU Mag

Original Post Date: 8.5.2026