The Illinois Space Society

Projects

This year, ISS is pursuing a variety of technical projects, including the flagship Spaceshot program and hybrid and solid propulsion systems, as well as NASA's Micro-g NExT and RASC-AL design challenges. We engage over 200 students every year with real-world, hands-on experience in aerospace engineering and space sciences.

Spaceshot is a highly-interdisciplinary, multi-year project to reach the Kármán line, at 100 km above Earth's surface, with a rocket completely designed and built by students. Along our journey, the team will tackle challenges across the board, from manufacturing custom engine components and composite structures to designing an avionics system capable of surviving near-hypersonic flight. Our latest rocket, Endurance, flew in October 2021 as a validation test for ISS's advanced avionics system, featuring active roll control and datalogging capabilities. This will be soon followed by our next rocket, Intrepid, which will compete at the Spaceport America Cup in June 2022 and serve as a testbed for the remaining technologies we will use to achieve our goal of reaching space.

Our propulsion team is hard at work developing cutting-edge hybrid propulsion systems, using a novel Nytrox-Paraffin propellant to achieve a more environmentally-friendly and efficient design for rocket engines. This engine will undergo its first hot-fire test by the end of May 2022, hoping to demonstrate ISS's first student-designed and student-built rocket motor. The propulsion team is also supporting the Spaceshot program with the design and manufacture of solid-propellant motor components.

Every year, ISS enters NASA's Micro-g NExT astronaut tool challenge and the RASC-AL mission design competition. For 2021-2022, the ISS Micro-g NExT team is engineering a system for astronauts to collect and store lunar samples as part of the Artemis program to return to the moon. The Micro-g NExT team is 1 of 19 teams selected to continue in the 2022 competition, out of 40 proposals submitted, making this the 8th competition in a row in which ISS has been selected. Our RASC-AL team is also working hard on their proposal for an architecture to drill for water on Mars in order to produce rocket propellant in-situ, with selections coming in March 2022.

Outreach

Every year, the Illinois Space Society reaches over 1,000 K-12 students from all over the Midwest, through events such as Illinois Space Day, Engineering Open House, SciComm, and classroom visits to local schools. Our members love to share their passion for space exploration and STEM and inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. ISS works with educators, academics, professionals, and even astronauts to create and provide educational programming for all ages. After the success of the 2021 Illinois Space Day, our Educational Outreach team is currently working hard to make the 2022 Engineering Open House the best one yet!

Career Development

ISS aims to help its members get a head-start on their careers, regardless of whether they choose paths in industry, academia, or beyond. Career development opportunities range from professional skills events with resume reviews and LinkedIn workshops to career panels by ISS alumni and visits by corporate sponsors and recruiters.

Whether you are an ISS alum, family member, aerospace professional, or simply a fellow space fanatic, welcome aboard! We truly appreciate the generous contributions which make our work possible.

Ad astra,

The Illinois Space Society

If you have any questions, or would prefer to donate by other means, please contact Morgan Scott, Assistant Director, via email at mjscott3@illinois.edu