NRCC News

NRCC Rocket Club receives sponsorship from BAE Systems

Jun 25 2019

This is an archived article!

This article was published on Jun 25 2019 and was archived on Jun 26 2020. The information below may be outdated or inaccurate.

New River Community College’s Rocket Club, a student club focused on experiential learning by building, testing, and launching high-powered rockets, recently received a sponsorship of $10,000 from BAE Systems operator of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant.  The gift will support the club’s ongoing activities, including preparing for the 2020 NASA Student Launch event in Huntsville, Ala., a research-based experimental exploration activity.

The new partnership between NRCC and BAE Systems not only includes financial support but also human resources in the form of career mentoring experiences and subject matter experts.  NRCC Rocket Club students will have access to industry experts who can help the club members not only as they build their rockets but also as they explore their career options in the field.

NRCC Rocket Club members work on rockets throughout the year and launch the rockets at the New River Valley Rocketry Club. The club’s faculty sponsor, NRCC associate professor of mathematics and engineering Bill Noble, oversees the students’ work.  Their last student launch was in April.  

“The employees at Radford Army Ammunition Plant have a strong sense of pride in family, in our community, for our country, and in the facility that has served our nation’s warfighters since World War II,” said Christopher Finley, communications and community relations manager. “The education and preparation of our future team members is a cause near and dear to our hearts and business. We are honored to have had a part in supporting New River Valley’s Rocket Club and wish the students the best of luck in the launch competition.”

The NRCC Rocket Club meets weekly at the college’s NRV Mall site location on Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon. Currently the club is working on improving their current rocket.  The club’s next launches are planned for late June and late July. For more information about the club or to join, students should contact Noble at wnoble@nr.edu.

The Radford Army Ammunition Plant has been operated by BAE Systems since 2012. The Radford facility is a leading producer of military-grade propellants. In addition, BAE Systems has provided modernization planning, project management, design, and construction at the munition plant facility.