Embry-Riddle IREC 2026
Faculty Mentor Name
Mark Benton
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
The IREC (International Rocket Engineering Competition) is an international rocketry competition in which Embry-Riddle has participated most recently in the past two years. Over 150 teams participate worldwide and aim to build a rocket that reaches a specific target altitude. This goal drives research and innovation and allows teams to experiment with unique approaches that incorporate multiple fields of engineering. To accomplish the altitude goal, teams have worked on creating high-fidelity simulations and varying the mass of the rocket before liftoff. The alternative option has always been to use some sort of active control system, usually in the form of airbrakes that slow the rocket down in an attempt to reach the target altitude reliably every time. This approach eliminates uncertainty with propulsion systems and atmospheric conditions. While this approach seems to make sense logically, executing it has always been a challenge, and there has not yet been a team to successfully create a system that is reliable enough to win the competition repeatedly.
The 2026 Embry-Riddle IREC team aims to address the issues currently widespread in airbrake systems. The issues receiving the most focus are creating control logic that does not rely on assumptions about brake performance and simulating the system in such a way that very few test flights are required to feel confident at the competition. The team also pulls altitude data directly from a competition altimeter to reduce barometric error. This project zeros in on inconsistencies present in airbrake control methods and approaches the problem from an outside-the-box perspective to simplify it in an engineering context. It uses lessons learned from the 2025 Embry-Riddle IREC team and refines a system that is already among the best performing in the world. The 2026 Embry-Riddle Prescott IREC team will prove that it is possible to accomplish this task, and the published research will be a valuable resource for other IREC teams around the world. This widespread knowledge will drive innovation, close the chapter on reliable airbrake control at the IREC competition, and open the door for new control methods at future contests.
The 2026 IREC team expects to place very well in the 2026 competition. In 2025, the team saw success using an active control system to bring the rocket to within 0.5% of the target altitude. The 2026 rocket contains an updated version of this system, further developing reliability through research and driving innovation through public outreach.
Embry-Riddle IREC 2026
The IREC (International Rocket Engineering Competition) is an international rocketry competition in which Embry-Riddle has participated most recently in the past two years. Over 150 teams participate worldwide and aim to build a rocket that reaches a specific target altitude. This goal drives research and innovation and allows teams to experiment with unique approaches that incorporate multiple fields of engineering. To accomplish the altitude goal, teams have worked on creating high-fidelity simulations and varying the mass of the rocket before liftoff. The alternative option has always been to use some sort of active control system, usually in the form of airbrakes that slow the rocket down in an attempt to reach the target altitude reliably every time. This approach eliminates uncertainty with propulsion systems and atmospheric conditions. While this approach seems to make sense logically, executing it has always been a challenge, and there has not yet been a team to successfully create a system that is reliable enough to win the competition repeatedly.
The 2026 Embry-Riddle IREC team aims to address the issues currently widespread in airbrake systems. The issues receiving the most focus are creating control logic that does not rely on assumptions about brake performance and simulating the system in such a way that very few test flights are required to feel confident at the competition. The team also pulls altitude data directly from a competition altimeter to reduce barometric error. This project zeros in on inconsistencies present in airbrake control methods and approaches the problem from an outside-the-box perspective to simplify it in an engineering context. It uses lessons learned from the 2025 Embry-Riddle IREC team and refines a system that is already among the best performing in the world. The 2026 Embry-Riddle Prescott IREC team will prove that it is possible to accomplish this task, and the published research will be a valuable resource for other IREC teams around the world. This widespread knowledge will drive innovation, close the chapter on reliable airbrake control at the IREC competition, and open the door for new control methods at future contests.
The 2026 IREC team expects to place very well in the 2026 competition. In 2025, the team saw success using an active control system to bring the rocket to within 0.5% of the target altitude. The 2026 rocket contains an updated version of this system, further developing reliability through research and driving innovation through public outreach.