U of A students (l to r) Manel Abjuni, Hannah Parry and Sean Kruszweski with the rocket they launched at Andoya Space Centre, Norway
Mechancial Engineering undergraduate students, Manel Ajbouni and Sean Kruszewski, have recently returned from a week of rocket camp in Norway. Herewith our conversation with them about the experience.
When did you know you wanted to be an engineer?
Manel: Ever since middle school I've been interested in space. Engineers play a variety of important roles in aerospace fields so I chose engineering because of my interest in space.
Sean: I've been into space since I was 10. I've always loved the raw power of rockets. I chose mechanical engineering instead of aerospace engineering because it's broader and gives you more options. I like the idea of not having to live only on earth. I think it's the next big expansion, I think.
Why did you apply to CaNoRock?
Manel: I've known about CaNoRock for a couple of years but I was too intimidated to apply. But this is my last chance and so I knew I'd regret it if I didn't try.
Sean: Friends of mine in AlbertaSat have gone before, so I knew it was fun and this was my last chance to apply.
What do you think helped your application?
Manel: I'm involved in a student group called SPEAR. It's only been around for a couple of years but I've learned about robotics there.
Sean: I think being in AlbertaSat helped my application. And the experience I have from AlbertaSat, of working with a large group of people you don't know, definitely helped me in Norway.
How was it getting all the way to Norway?
Manel: It was a long trip to get there and the plane got delayed. I got paranoid that it wasn't going to happen but it was worth the struggle.
Sean: The travel was interesting - it was 26 hours to get there! But it was a good chance to get to know people
What was it like while you were there?
Manel: Great. Because of our flight delay we got in really late but everyone stayed up to meet us and say hello, which was really nice.
Sean: It was great to meet a bunch of different people from different places - all over Canada and the States and Norway. Meeting everyone and hanging out with all the people was the best part. We did a polar bear swim the views of the aurora were amazing.
What did you learn?
Manel: We had a few lectures in the mornings and then we built the rocket. By the third day we finished and then spent time on the launch. After the launch we analyzed the data. One of the external temperature sensors didn't give an accurate reading so we had to figure that out.
Sean: It was cool to see how the process goes, putting together the parts and the shell and then the launch. The launch went great. We put sensors on the payload to collect data on acceleration, temperature, and light. From that data we could see how far up the rocket got and how long it took.
Final thoughts on CaNoRock?
Manel: I'm really grateful to have had the experience. Who do I thank?
Sean: It was terrific. I'm still coming down.