TCC Students Set to Launch Payload into Space in June with NASA’s RockSAT-C Program

A team of ambitious Tidewater Community College (TCC) students is reaching for the stars—literally. Next month, they will send a student-designed experiment into space through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) prestigious RockSAT-C program, a hands-on workshop that empowers college students to develop and launch payloads aboard a rocket.

The project is a collaborative effort led by Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student Eleni Saffold and Mechanical Engineering student Jerry Gessner, supported by a dedicated team: Leigh Gartung, Aidyn Leinberger, Hadi Masri, Kiersten Ruby, Aidan Scully, and George Walker. Most of the team consists of engineering majors with one member studying computer science. With faculty members Mike Pastor and Rick Dyer supporting their efforts, the TCC RockSAT-C team showcases the power of interdisciplinary teamwork in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

Mike Pastor, a professor in the Engineering, Maritime, and Skilled Trades Pathway on the Virginia Beach Campus, is the lead faculty advisor for the team.

“Every month the students had to write and do a presentation to NASA to let them know how they were progressing with the project. We got the thumbs up for ours and wrote some proposals. We got the Virginia Space Consortium to fund our payload,” Pastor said.

No prior experience was required to join the team, making it a unique entrance point for TCC students into the world of aerospace and experimental research. The club-based project involves selecting, designing, and constructing a payload, which is then launched into space from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia.

The student-built payload is expected to reach 70 miles above the Earth’s surface during the 900 second flight—right to the edge of the exosphere. The TCC team’s experiment features an SD card voltage input system, and their results will contribute to ongoing research in space technology and electronics.

Students will present their research on June 25, with the rocket launch scheduled for June 26. Their project will be reviewed by NASA for academic merit, a key milestone that validates the educational value and scientific rigor of their work. TCC will be attending this conference alongside well-known four-year institutions including Louisiana State University and University of Alaska.

“I’m really excited to meet all the people who are going to be actually trying to break our experience and get the testing done because I think that would be really cool to see people do their jobs in action, especially at NASA,” team leader Eleni Saffold said.

The opportunity not only gives students the rare chance to participate in a NASA-affiliated launch, but also instills valuable professional and technical skills.

“In the beginning, they were afraid to work by themselves. They were afraid to get out there and start doing things on their own, but they built confidence. That is what this program does. It lets them see that working at a place like NASA is possible. It really is a possibility for any students that are on this project,” Pastor said.

As they prepare for liftoff, the TCC RockSAT-C team exemplifies what’s possible when education meets ambition—and the sky is not the limit, but just the beginning.

Navy vet amasses multiple degrees at TCC

You might say Michael Humphrey-Sewell can’t get enough of Tidewater Community College.

The Navy veteran already holds his Associate of Science in Social Sciences and his Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration.

It’s a year later and he’s amassed two more associate degrees. He will graduate on Dec. 16 with associates in engineering and computer science. He’s also earned certifications in CompTIA A+ and Network +.

Humphrey-Sewell, 31, is already at work on his bachelor’s in computer engineering from Old Dominion University, but he’s not done with TCC just yet. A cybersecurity certificate is also on his TCC bucket list.

“There are just so many useful classes you can take at TCC, and I really like that they’re so hands-on,” he said. “It’s a small environment where you can get to know your professors and they know you. They actually talk to you.”

Working with TCC’s Center for Military and Veterans Education, he has been able to use his GI Bill benefits to pay for his education. “It’s a good deal to come here for free and take classes I like,” he said.

Enjoying the Maker Space inside the Advanced Technology Center on the Virginia Beach Campus

Part of his transition after a nine-year career in the Navy involved developing new skills. He taught acoustic intelligence during his service and liked to tinker with computers. But it wasn’t until he came to TCC that he discovered how well three fields that he enjoys – engineering, business and computer programming – complement each other.

“I really needed to modernize my technology base,” he said. “Modernizing it makes me more marketable. This was a good transition for that. I’m looking to leverage all my old experience with my new.”

Humphrey-Sewell also serves as vice president of TCC’s coding club and secretary of Computers for Student Success. His team finished second at the recent Dominion Hackathon. He’s a regular in the Maker Space inside the Advanced Technology Center, where he’s built websites and his own password manager.

“There’s stuff for every experience level in here,” he said. “There’s 3D printing, circuit design penetration design, testing for robotics.”

In addition to his academics, Humphrey-Sewell is webmaster of the personalized tutoring and testing center Gruzone Education, where teaches computer fundamentals and math.

Eventually, the single dad plans to make a career as a software developer or security analyst.

The New Hampshire native, who landed at the college after shore duty stationed him in Virginia Beach, is grateful for the foundation he found at TCC.

Three years ago when he left the Navy, “I didn’t know what was out there,” he said. “I wouldn’t know about all the opportunities there are if I hadn’t come here.”

Engineering student will graduate from TCC with an associate and a prosthetic arm he designed

Tidewater Community College student AJ Bafetti initially wanted to challenge himself with an engineering project that involved 3-D design.

The end product, a prosthetic he refers to as “Light Arm,” is not only beneficial to him but inspiring to others.

Bafetti’s story, as told by WTKR reporter Margaret Cavanagh, went viral last week, picked up by news outlets that include CNN and CBS This Morning. The story appeared in local affiliates ranging from Miami and Nashville to Columbus, Ohio and Las Vegas. The Virginian-Pilot also featured him on April 19.

“I was surprised it went coast to coast,” said Bafetti, 22, also contacted by a radio talk show on WGN in Chicago. “It’s been pretty cool.”

Bafetti will finish the coursework for his Associate of Science in Engineering by the end of the summer and transfer to Old Dominion University this fall for his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.

AJ Bafetti, Chris Gollogly — AJ Bafetti, left, designed his own prosthetic arm with the help of Chris Gollogly, president of TCC’s engineering club.

The Grassfield High School grad, born without a forearm, grew up a LEGO lover and wanted to turn his love of building into a career. Economics steered him toward TCC, where he has excelled and taken part in the VCCS-NASA “STEM in Flight” internship.

Bafetti got the idea to make his own prosthetic during his first semester here. He had only ever used a 3-D printer to make a phone holder before but had the confidence he could design his own limb after sharing concept sketches with Professor Edward Morris.

The TCC engineering professor encouraged him as did Paul Gordy, program head for the department who also heads the college’s Engineering Club. Bafetti received assistance from club president Chris Gollogly and the manufacturer AMTEK, which provided the materials, a plastic similar to LEGOs.

Bafetti tested several prototypes using the computer-assisted design software AutoCAD. To maximize efficiency, it’s important that that limb be lightweight, something he continues to perfect.

“Ideally it would be less than a pound,” he said.

Bafetti uses the arm now, which includes a grey hook in lieu of a hand. He plans to wear it during all waking hours once final design kinks are worked out.

While he calls it a “passion project,” Bafetti discovered by doing it that he wants to continue to help others by designing their prosthetic limbs. Working closely with faculty and peers at TCC, he said he learned collaborative skills that will help him in the professional world.

Margaret Cavanaugh, AJ Bafetti — Sharing his story with WTKR’s Margaret Cavanagh

“As engineers, we’re supposed to be problem-solvers,” Bafetti said. “That’s want I want to do.”