The Yellow Jacket Space Program (YJSP) is a student-led organization founded in 2017 to bring advanced rocketry development to the Georgia Institute of Technology. The program has the goal of designing, building, and flying a sounding rocket capable of carrying a 10 kilogram scientific payload past the 100 kilometer Kármán line. The suborbital launch vehicle is planned to be a liquid-fueled, active-controlled rocket with separation and recovery operations. The program has about 330 members, bringing together undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines including Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, and Industrial Engineering, along with Computer Science and Business. The project is led by students and operates under the faculty advisement of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering. YJSP has four overall program goals that guide the development process:

    1)   Allow students to work on complex, real-world problems that foster the growth of professional engineering skills and knowledge.
    2)   Promote and improve programs for student rocket engineering within YJSP, the School of Aerospace Engineering,the College of Engineering, and the Georgia Institute of Technology
    3)   Establish an ongoing, safe program for launch vehicle design, testing, and operation
    4)   Provide a platform for STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) outreach opportunities to students of all academic levels throughout the State of Georgia

The team pursues these goals through one long-term objective: develop and operate a liquid-fueled sounding rocket capable of delivering a scientific payload above the Kármán Line and return it safely to the ground. This ambitious goal introduces challenges that exceed a student’s typical academic experience. Students involved with YJSP gain skills that are relevant to the aerospace industry to supplement their academics, from systematic mission design to component-level hardware and electronics fabrication.

Aviation & Aerospace

Engineering

Yellow Jacket Space Program

Schuyler McCaa

Will Miller

The Leadership Team at Yellow Jacket Space Program (YJSP) is responsible for setting the strategic direction, coordinating interdisciplinary efforts, and ensuring the successful advancement of the program’s ambitious objectives. The President leads the overall project vision and represents YJSP to external entities, the Vice President oversees administrative functions and inter-team coordination, and the Engine Development Chief Engineer focuses on the technical leadership of the propulsion system. Together, they ensure the program adheres to its goals while fostering professional growth and maintaining a safe and educational environment.

Leadership Team

About

Team members

Other teams at Yellow Jacket Space Program

Engineering Team