AeroBears reach new heights at IREC 2025

For the fourth consecutive year, the Lenoir-Rhyne University AeroBears competed in the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), an elite event hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA). This year’s competition brought together 159 teams from 24 countries and took place at the Midland International Air and Space Port in Midland, Texas, marking a new launch site after several years at Spaceport America near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Five team members traveled to Texas with their rocket, Bearricane. The rocket was named to honor the residents of western North Carolina who experienced Hurricane Helene in fall 2024. The team competed in the 10k-COTS category — the largest and most competitive division at IREC. COTS, or Commercial Off-the-Shelf, means the rocket uses a commercially available motor with a target apogee of 10,000 feet.

“The AeroBears always surprise other teams at competition because we are a team of fewer than 10 members,” shared biochemistry major Kayleigh Sloop ’27, who serves as the team’s avionics lead. “Most teams have more than triple the number of students, with some teams having more than 100 members. It truly shows the quality of work and dedication to rocketry that our members have. We have the smallest number of team members, but we consistently place higher than many larger, big-name universities.”

The team’s small size means that every member of the team is active and engaged with the building and launch process. As team sponsor and physics professor Doug Knight ’86, Ph.D. pointed out, “Every member of the team gets hands-on experience with the rocket.”

That hands-on experience sets up team members for success in other arenas. For example, three students at Lenoir-Rhyne have won highly competitive national scholarships in the last two years, and two of those three students were rocket team members. Mathematics major and team lead Demmi Ramos ’25 won the Goldwater Scholarship in 2024. Computer science and rocket lead Michael Gerbitz ’27 won the SMART Scholarship from the U.S. Department of Defense in 2025.

Although the AeroBears competed in the 10k-COTS category previously, Bearricane represents a major step forward for the team. The rocket features a six-inch diameter and a Level 3 motor – the most powerful engine the AeroBears have used to date. Previous rockets were four inches in diameter and used lower-power motors.

“We’re preparing to eventually move into the 30,000 feet category in maybe two years,” said Ramos. “This year's rocket is a stepping stone to take us there.”

Bearricane reached a record-setting apogee of 11,005 feet — the team’s highest altitude yet and the ninth highest in the 10k-COTS category. While teams earn the most points for getting as close as possible to the 10,000-foot target, the result marked a significant achievement for the AeroBears.

“Even though we lost points for going over 10,000 feet, it was in a positive direction. We were excited to set a team record for height,” Ramos said.

The AeroBears placed 56th overall and 38th in the 10k-COTS category — a solid showing in a field of more than 150 international teams. But the competition wasn’t the only challenge they faced.

On the road to Texas, the team encountered hailstorms and tornado warnings, forcing them to pull off under a bridge and wait out the weather. “It was a fun bonding experience,” Ramos said. Once in Midland, sandstorms delayed the launch by a day, but the team adapted quickly.

That flexibility, Ramos said, has defined the AeroBears through the last four years.

“I’m sad this was my last launch, but I’m happy with the success the team has had. I feel like I’m going out on a high note, and I’m excited to see what they’ll do next year,” said Ramos. “They plan to build another six-inch rocket with some new features. The great strength of this team is that we learn something new from each launch, and we’re always adapting and finding ways to make our craft better.”