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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.