The ITBA Rocketry Team, composed of students from the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), designed a supersonic rocket, and will participate for the third consecutive year in the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC).
The event, one of the most prestigious university rocketry competitions globally, will take place from June 15 to 20 in Texas, United States.
The Challenge: Project “Aconcagua”
For this edition, the team developed the supersonic rocket “Aconcagua”, with which they will compete in the 30k COTS category. The goal is to reach an altitude of 30,000 feet (approximately 10 kilometers), representing a significant technical leap by tripling the height of their previous participations.
Technical Milestones and Objectives 2025-2026
The project aims to set a historical precedent for Argentine university aerospace engineering:
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Supersonic Speed: The team plans to surpass the sound barrier for the first time with an estimated speed of Mach 2.
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Apogee of 10 km: Achieve a stable flight up to 10,000 meters in height.
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Multidisciplinary Development: More than 60 students work in areas such as aerostructures, avionics, composite materials, and FEM simulation.
Trajectory and Excellence in Design
Since its inception in 2022, the ITBA Rocketry Team has climbed positions in the international arena. In the 2024 edition, the team managed to rank among the top 20 in the world in Design and Construction, finishing in 42nd place in their category out of a total of 143 participants.
Under the guidance of the ITBA’s Environment and Mobility Department, this project seeks to position Argentina at the forefront of innovation and applied scientific development within the aerospace industry.
