College of Engineering Unit:
The Oregon State University (OSU) High Altitude Liquid Engine (HALE) rocketry team is part of the OSU branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The team is organized and led by students at OSU and advised by Dr. Kyle Niemeyer. HALE is structured into eight subteams: Avionics, Aero and recovery, Fluids, Orifice Characterization and raceways, Propulsion, Structures, Valves, and Vertical Test Stand. Team members are students from different backgrounds ranging from mechanical, manufacturing, computer, and electrical engineering. Participants are of all levels of education, including undergraduate freshmen, senior capstone members, and graduate students.
HALE is participating in the Base 11 space challenge, intending to develop a liquid bipropellant-powered flight vehicle capable of surpassing the Kármán line (328,000 feet) and returning to the surface of Earth with all flight hardware intact. The Base 11 space challenge aims to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) engagement in the United States of America (USA) and to increase diversity in the aerospace workforce. The challenge invites student-led university-level teams to compete to be the first to send a liquid-fueled flight vehicle past the Kármán line. The first team to do so will win the $1 million prize. HALE is one of only six teams still actively participating in the competition.
