The Lehigh University Rocketry Association (LURA)

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I am a member of the Lehigh University Rocketry Association (LURA), a student-run rocketry team founded in 2024 at Lehigh University. The team designs, builds, and launches solid and liquid-propellant rockets and now competes annually in the International Rocketry Engineering Competition (IREC). In addition to competition work, LURA engages with the broader collegiate rocketry community, collaborating with teams from Rutgers, Maryland, and Florida, and supporting regional rocketry outreach and knowledge-sharing. Our members learn a ton about rocketry by building and making real progress on hardware. Everyone has the opportunity to get high-power-rocketry certified with the NAR or Tripoli and specialize in various rocketry aspects.

I have been part of LURA for over a year, with my primary technical focus on payload and structural engineering. I lead the development of LAIKA, a robotic quadruped payload designed to autonomously explore the desert after deployment from our 16-foot competition launch vehicle, scheduled to fly at IREC 2026 in Texas. My work includes payload architecture, mechanical integration, structural interfaces, and system-level design to ensure compatibility with flight and recovery constraints. Beyond engineering, I support the team’s organizational growth by drafting grant proposals, coordinating sponsor communications, mentoring new members, and helping establish the first dedicated rocketry laboratory on the Lehigh University campus.