OU Engineering Students Make Debut in National Rocket Competition

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Crimson Journey Rocket Team
From left,  Phillip PrairieChief, Brian McCarthy, Anne Le,
Rachael Chatterji and McKenna Chatterji. 
For the first time in OU Engineering history, seven students participated in the 14th Annual First Nations Launch National Rocket Competition hosted by NASA's Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. 

The students, representing 21 colleges and universities from the United States and Canada, gathered at the Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Kansasville, Wisconsin, in April to showcase their engineering skills. Three competitions – titled Gateway, Moon and Mars Engineering Challenges – allowed them to design, build and fly a high-powered rocket.

Phillip PrairieChief, a junior transfer student from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was named the competition’s Top Team Lead. He had previously participated in the First Nations Launch while studying at Northern Oklahoma College and upon transferring to OU, he suggested to his professors that the Gallogly College of Engineering compete in the launch. 

Calling themselves the Crimson Journey Rocket Team, the OU students did not secure a placement in this year's competition, however, PrairieChief says he and his teammates are determined to win the upcoming 2023 contest. In addition to his achievements at the competition, PrairieChief also received a job offer from Blue Origin, an aerospace, defense and space exploration company and launch service provider. 

"FNL is a first-step experience for students with no experience in high-power rocketry. It's a great learning experience unique to Native American communities. I'm glad to be a part of it," said PrairieChief. 

Team members include:
  • McKenna Chatterji, Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, of Enid, Oklahoma
  • Rachael Chatterji, Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, Enid, Oklahoma
  • Anne Le, Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, Enid, Oklahoma
  • Brian McCarthy, School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Southlake, Texas
  • Phillip PrairieChief, School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, Stillwater, Oklahoma
  • Ameer Al Qadi, School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Jade Rowland, Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, Piedmont, Oklahoma
  • Bruce Mason, Ph.D., associate professor in the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, served as the team's adviser. 
The 14th Annual First Nations Launch National Rocket Competition presents a unique opportunity for students attending a Tribal College or University, a Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution, or who are members of an active American Indian Science and Engineering Society collegiate chapter. 

Learn more about the Gallogly College of Engineering.

By Lorene A. Roberson, Gallogly College of Engineering


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