The American Rocketry Challenge: Enabling Moog to Connect with The Next Generation of Engineers

Two determined high school juniors, Claire Hejaily and Olivia Zanelli, were filled with anticipation as they prepared their model rocket in the American Rocketry Challenge (ARC). It was a cold morning in early spring, as they waited their turn in a qualifying launch for nationals. Minutes before they placed their rocket on the launch rod and pressed the red launch controller for blast off, a fin from their rocket unexpectedly fell off. What initially seemed like a potential catastrophe soon transformed into an unexpected success that left a lasting impression on their lives.

"The solution was easy; we knew a 5-minute epoxy would fix the fin and secure back in place for another launch. But the freezing temperatures outside proved to be too cold, rendering the epoxy useless,” said Claire Hejaily, an Associate Engineer at Moog.

“Under pressure and short on time, our team collaborated and thought of the perfect solution. We took the rocket with the broken fin and carefully positioned it inside the car and next to the heaters. Thanks to the warmth, the epoxy began to cure, and we were able to launch. We qualified for nationals that year thanks to our quick thinking and problem solving.” said Moog Associate Engineer, Olivia Zanelli.

That event would shape the career paths for both women, leading them into the field of aerospace engineering at Moog.

The American Rocketry Challenge has provided similar experiences to students nationwide and brought the world of rocketry to life, teaching students problem solving, critical thinking, communication, engineering skills, adaptability, and resourcefulness to overcome unexpected obstacles.

Moog’s involvement in the ARC program (at the time called TARC—Team America Rocketry Challenge) began in 2012. Volunteer Roger Lipke stepped up to mentor the first local middle school and serve as the technical advisor for this team. Nicolas Canaple and Lance Over served as technical mentors and launch safety officers for the flights during the early years. That first year, the team qualified as one of the five alternate teams for the national competition and traveled to the finals held outside of Washington D.C. Upon graduation from middle school at the end of the year, these students from the first team moved on to high school and started teams at their respective high schools as the program continued to grow in Western New York. With the growth of the program came more success for WNY teams; each year, at least one local school represented the area in the finals.

To provide teams with more launch opportunities and to promote collaboration across teams and schools, Moog hosted its inaugural Moog Regional Rocketry Challenge in October 2014. All local schools were invited to bring their rockets and launch at the fields of the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, NY to see how their designs performed under that year’s national competition rules. Every October, Moog continues to host the Regional Rocketry Challenge, a qualifying competition for nationals. It not only tests the students’ rockets but also serves as a starting point for them to explore future career possibilities in the rapidly growing aerospace industry.

“Participating in ARC in high school is 100% why I am in engineering today. It has taught me how to break down big ideas into little ideas, evaluate options, and ask questions,” said Claire Zwack, a Development Engineer at Moog. Zwack brought ARC to her high school as a curious student interested in aerospace. She presented her case to her school principal and started the club with a group of friends and a few Moog mentors. Today, she is the vice president of the ARC committee here at Moog and enjoys providing the same experience to young students.

In her role within the Design Analysis Group, Zwack collaborates closely with engineers across various functions, creating finite element models and preforming hand calculations to ensure products meet customers’ requirements and can safely go into testing.

The ARC program mission is to actively engage students with engineers and give them firsthand insights into the world of engineering and the industry.

The competition requires students to design and build the rockets from scratch. By engaging in a process of trial and error, as well as conducting thorough testing and analysis, students are actively developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Every launch is a learning experience to observe their flight results, tweak design and launch parameters, and assess their work.

Emma Oar, an Associate Engineer at Moog shares, “Once, during an ARC practice, the nose cone of our rocket suddenly blew off mid-launch. Our payload that year was an egg, nestled inside the nose cone, and when we went to retrieve the nose cone from our rocket in the field the egg payload was untouched. It was awesome to see something you built survive impact!” said Oar.

“Being able to have engineers who worked at Moog answer my questions about engineering while participating in ARC was an invaluable resource. This direct interaction with my mentor engineers who were actively working in the field gave me a firsthand glimpse into the real-world challenges and opportunities that awaited me in my engineering career,” said Alex Wozniak, an Associate Product Engineer.

Choosing engineering as a career is often influenced by early experiences and interests. As a kid, Moog product engineer Alex Bergmann always loved to take things apart to learn how they worked.

“During my time in ARC, I was able to develop a deeper understanding of engineering principles and apply them to real-world scenarios. I was able to gain hands-on experience in the process of designing, redesigning, testing, and evaluation. The guidance and mentorship from individuals like Nick Canaple, played a crucial role in shaping my thinking process and encouraging me to think like a true engineer. ARC gave me a foundation of tools used to model things in the engineering world and gave me an edge up when I went to college,” said Bergmann.

Today, Bergmann works as a Product Engineer on the production of hardware going into space including, thrust vector control actuators and controllers, a career decision he says was heavily influenced by ARC.

By facilitating direct interaction between students and engineers, the ARC program offers students the opportunity to delve deeper into various engineering disciplines, understand the practical applications of their studies, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in their engineering careers.

“I was always interested in STEM, but it was participating in ARC that sparked my passion for aerospace engineering and opened doors to a world of possibilities that I had not yet explored,” said Leah Nolan, a Moog Product Engineer. “After graduating with my mechanical engineering and aerospace degree, I remembered those interactions with Moog mentors as part of ARC and knew I wanted a career at Moog.”

More than 25 schools across Western New York have ARC programs, in large part thanks to Moog volunteers. The dedication and support from volunteers have been pivotal to the success and growth of the ARC program. They have made it a point to create outreach events to grow awareness to more students, parents, and teachers. Moog volunteers take video calls with interested teachers and school districts, answering any questions and guiding them through the start-up process. They hold demonstrations at open houses, fairs, and local events and arrange rocket building workshops with students in elementary school. Finally, and arguably most importantly, they support launch days by setting up the launch rod, recording altitudes from the on-board altimeter and flight durations from stopwatches, tracking scores, and mentoring the young students. The volunteers are the heart of the program and have kept it going strong for more than 10 years.

Moog employees that have volunteered or currently volunteer on the Moog ARC Committee include Alex Bergmann, Olivia Bielawski, Nicolas Canaple, Sean Daigler, Ira Johnson, Roger Lipke, Andrea Marschner, Denise Marten, Jesse Molik, Leah Nolan, Lance Over, Janet Phillips, Sandy Riedel, Kristen Sikorski, James Saczuk, Maureen West-Spearance, Christine Kimmel-Hurt, Adam Williams, Steve Witkowski, Alex Wozniak, Olivia Zanelli, and Claire Zwack. In addition, 20-40 Moog employees from across the company volunteer their time each year at the Moog Regional Rocketry Challenge. Finally, Moog’s role in inspiring local students to compete in model rocketry in WNY and find a career in engineering and STEM would not have been possible without John and Eileen Scannell.

As a worldwide leader in innovative motion controls with locations in 25 countries, Moog offers numerous opportunities for individuals interested in pursuing a career in engineering.

Gabby Mullane, a Test Engineer at Moog and former ARC student, said, “While working as an intern remotely for Moog, I took a trip to Colorado and that is when I found out that Moog has a facility in Arvada, CO. After completing my internship, I started working in the space vehicle industry. I have been fortunate enough to explore the multitude of opportunities that Moog provides to its employees.”

Moog's extensive global reach encourages employees to explore a variety of career paths. For individuals interested in pursuing a career in engineering, managers actively encourage career growth and advancement. Moog embodies a performance culture that empowers and inspires individuals to achieve remarkable things. Learn what it’s like to work for a best-in-class, global company that has a culture of togetherness like no other.