SBAerospace
One team.
Many roles.
SBAerospace is a single unified team. What separates members is their role: the skillset they develop and the part of the mission they own. Each role contributes to different competitions and projects throughout the year.
Your role is your starting point,
not your ceiling.
Every member holds a role that defines their core contribution. Roles overlap, inform each other, and feed into shared outcomes. A member in the Rocketry role might work on an airframe for ARC in the fall, then collaborate with Biology on a Genes In Space experiment in the spring.
Not every role touches every competition. That's intentional. Below you'll find which roles drive which projects, so you can join the role that matches what you want to build and learn.
Eight roles. Every one matters.
Each role card shows what the role does and which competitions it directly contributes to.
Rocketry
Designs and builds everything that leaves the ground: airframes, nose cones, fins, recovery systems, and motor selection. Responsible for translating simulation data into physical hardware and running launch day operations.
Electronics
Designs custom PCBs, flight computers, sensor arrays, and telemetry systems, plus the firmware that drives them. Essential for instrumenting rockets in ARC, building scientific payloads in TechRise, and sensor systems for Cubes in Space and Genes In Space.
Mechanical
Owns the structural side of every build: CAD, FEA, composites, 3D printing, and machining. Works across ARC airframes, ROV chassis, rover structures for the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge, drone frames, and payload housings for TechRise and Cubes in Space.
Software
Builds the digital infrastructure the whole team depends on: flight simulators, ground station GUIs, data pipelines, autonomy code for drones and rovers, and embedded firmware. Supports nearly every competition in some capacity.
Chemistry / Materials
Evaluates and selects propellant systems, composite materials, and adhesives for every build. Leads experimental work on lightweight materials for airframes and payload housings. Central to Genes In Space and Cubes in Space experiments where material constraints and chemical conditions are mission-critical.
Biology
Designs and conducts life science experiments intended for high-altitude and microgravity environments. Leads our entries into Genes In Space (DNA experimentation) and Cubes in Space (small-scale biological payloads). Collaborates with Chemistry and Electronics on experiment packaging and sensor integration.
Finances
Manages the club's budget, tracks expenditures across projects, and coordinates grant applications and sponsorship funds. Every competition has material costs, registration fees, and travel expenses. The Finances role makes sure those are planned for and covered so technical work never stalls on budget.
Outreach / Operations
Runs club communications, social media, community partnerships, and event coordination. Handles competition registration logistics, travel planning, and meeting organization. Outreach members represent SBAerospace publicly and help grow the club's visibility in the school and STEM community.
What we compete in,
and who leads it.
Every competition we enter is owned by specific roles. This is where your role shows up in the real world. Pick a competition that interests you and find the role that drives it.
| Competition | Status | What it is | Roles involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Rocketry Challenge rocketrychallenge.org | Active | The largest student rocketry competition in the US. Design, build, and fly a rocket to a precise altitude with an egg payload and recovery system. |
Rocketry
Electronics
Mechanical
Software
Finances
Outreach
|
| NASA TechRise nasa.gov/techrise | Active | Design a small scientific payload flown on a high-altitude balloon or suborbital rocket. Experiments must survive liftoff, microgravity, and recovery. |
Electronics
Mechanical
Software
Biology
Chemistry
Rocketry
|
| Genes In Space genesinspace.org | Upcoming | Propose a DNA/genetics experiment designed to fly to the International Space Station. One of the most prestigious high school science competitions nationally. |
Biology
Chemistry
Electronics
Outreach
|
| Cubes in Space cubesinspace.com | Upcoming | Design an experiment to fit in a 4cm cube, flown on a NASA sounding rocket or high-altitude balloon. Wide scope: biology, chemistry, materials, or electronics. |
Biology
Chemistry
Electronics
Mechanical
Software
|
| MATE ROV Competition materovcompetition.org | Upcoming | Build an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to complete real-world underwater mission tasks. Tests mechanical design, control systems, and teamwork under pressure. |
Mechanical
Electronics
Software
Finances
|
| NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge nasa.gov/herc | Upcoming | Design and build a human-powered rover to navigate a simulated planetary terrain course at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Tests structural engineering and ergonomic design. |
Mechanical
Electronics
Software
Chemistry
Finances
|
| REC Aerial Drone Competition recf.org/aerial-drone | Upcoming | Design, build, and fly a drone to complete autonomous and piloted mission objectives. Focuses on aeronautics, control theory, and real-time systems. |
Software
Electronics
Mechanical
Rocketry
|
| Aviation Design Challenge Includes free Cessna flight experience | Upcoming | Design an aircraft or aviation system and present it in a competitive format. Winners receive an actual Cessna flight experience. Open to creative interdisciplinary approaches. |
Mechanical
Software
Electronics
Outreach
|
| Research Opportunities See tryouts page for details | TBD | Collaborative research partnerships with universities, national labs, or industry mentors. Open-ended in scope: could span materials science, life sciences, data science, or aerospace engineering. |
Biology
Chemistry
Software
Electronics
Outreach
|
Roles specialize.
The team integrates.
Your role is your home base, not your limit. A fin designed by Mechanical has to fit around wires from Electronics. Biology experiments need Chemistry to validate materials. Software simulations inform Rocketry's motor selection. Nobody works in a vacuum.
We run cross-role design reviews before finalizing any build and hold weekly all-hands meetings to keep everyone aligned across competitions. Finances and Outreach make sure the work gets funded and seen.
Weekly All-Hands
Every role presents progress. Leads surface integration concerns early so nothing stalls another team's work.
Cross-role mentorship
Electronics teaches soldering. Biology teaches experiment design. Everyone teaches and everyone learns.
Shared documentation
Every design file, protocol, budget sheet, and meeting note lives in our shared GitHub org and Drive.