Park Scholar Isaac Owolabi, an aerospace engineering major in the class of 2009, recently attended the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Advanced Rocketry Workshop in Logan, Utah.

As part of the experience, Owolabi assembled the airframe for a 1/4 scale Patriot missile and was trained in motor assembly and wiring of in-flight electronics. During the competition portion of the Workshop, Owolabi’s rocket soared to the highest altitude, surpassing crafts from students representing universities across the nation.

Owolabi also had the opportunity to tour the ATK facility in Promontory. ATK is the world leader in manufacturing two-phase thermal products for spaceflight applications and is where solid rocket boosters for NASA manned space missions are built.

Owolabi’s Workshop attendance qualified him to assemble a team of North Carolina State University Students to participate in the NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) in April 2010. USLI is a competition that challenges college students to design, construct and launch a reusable rocket with scientific payload to one mile in altitude. The competition engages students in scientific research and real-world engineering processes with NASA engineers.  The Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review and Flight Readiness Review are conducted by panels of scientists and engineers from NASA and from NASA contractors and external partners.

”I plan on using the contacts developed from this competition to apply for the NASA Academy – a selective intern program that provides real-world experiences in science research and leadership,” says Owolabi.

After graduating, Owolabi plans to combine his graduate studies in engineering management with technological innovation policy.