Team Firefly combined the two things aerospace engineers love most – rockets and planes! In a unique and complex design Firefly aimed to push the boundaries of the National Rocketry Competition with its novel gliding recovery design: a pair of deployable wings that activate close to apogee. Unlike a parachute system, a glider-based recovery allows the rocket to cover extra horizontal distance as it descends. The rocket was created with off-the-shelf components and custom 3D-printed structures with the help of the tools provided by our amazing hackspace.

Sadly, due to last minute complexities in the electronics and code Firefly was unable to launch due to internal safety concerns, however the team aims to launch in the future!