Chosun University HANul Team Advances to IREC International Rocket Competition Finals

Only Seoul National University and Chosun University Advance as Sole Korean Teams

Chosun University HANul Team (Myungjin Kim, Donghyun Nam, Seungkyo Kang, Inkyu Lee, Jongchan Wi, Sunhwa Jin, Jinha Hwang, Jungwook Kim, Kwanghyun Nam, Jihyun Park, Namgyu Lee, Seonwoo Lee, Taehun Kim). Courtesy of Chosun University

Chosun University (President Kim Choonseong) announced on the 6th that the HANul team from the Department of Aerospace Engineering has advanced to the finals of the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC).

This prestigious competition, to be held from June 9 to 14, brings together university students from around the world to compete in rocket design and manufacturing. This year, 165 teams from 23 countries will participate in the finals. In Korea, the only teams to advance to the IREC finals are Chosun University’s HANul team and Seoul National University’s Hanaro team.

Each year, more than 2,000 students, professors, and mentors participate in the International Rocket Engineering Competition, with over 150 universities represented in the finals. All participating teams are required to load a minimum payload of 4.4 pounds (about 2 kg) inside their rockets. The target altitude is set at either 10,000 feet (about 3,048 meters) or 30,000 feet (about 9,144 meters) above ground, and a variety of propulsion methods can be used, including solid, liquid, hybrid, and multi-stage rockets.

The HANul team from Chosun University, composed of aerodynamics, structure, control, and propulsion sub-teams, took the lead in every aspect of the project, from rocket design and manufacturing to testing. In particular, to select a nose cone shape suitable for transonic speeds, the team conducted and analyzed aerodynamic assessments for more than 120 nose cone shapes. Based on the aerodynamic values calculated for the entire rocket, they developed a Reaction Control System to successfully control the rocket’s roll axis.

Lee Hyunjae, head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Chosun University, and Professor Kim Taegyu said, “We are proud that our students have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities on the international stage,” and added, “We will continue to actively support our students’ challenges in the future.”