How we failed our way to building a rocket in a year | Fisnik Zejnullahu | TEDxRWTHAachen

TL;DR

A student team overcame failures to build and launch a rocket, demonstrating perseverance and teamwork.

Transcript

yeah can you hear me that sounds all right thank you very much for attending thank you dear tedex team for organizing this uh event I'm really grateful to be here today and uh yeah my name is fisnik and I have brought something with me today you can already see it on my right this is what we like to call a fallen soldier it is uh a fallen soldier t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🎓 The teamwork and determination exhibited by the students highlight the value of collaboration in achieving complex goals, particularly in aerospace projects.
• 🛟 Their journey demonstrates that failures are a natural part of the innovation process, serving as critical learning experiences.
• 😤 The initial rejection by a competition prompted the team to pursue new opportunities, showcasing adaptability in their strategy.
• 👷 Construction of the rocket involved advanced techniques such as carbon fiber manufacturing and bespoke electronics, illustrating cutting-edge engineering.
• 😤 Despite logistical challenges associated with international competition, the team organized effectively to meet the demands of their project.
• 📽️ They embraced a culture of learning and improvement, evident in their thorough documentation of the project for competition assessment.
• 😤 The experience underlined the importance of persistence in engineering challenges, as the team managed several setbacks yet remained focused on their ultimate goal.

Questions & Answers

Q: What motivated the team to undertake the challenge of building a rocket?

The motivation stemmed from a shared goal of promoting aerospace research and the aspiration to be the first German team to compete at the Spaceport America Cup, the largest rocketry competition. The team's spirit, termed "Akila spirit," encouraged perseverance despite initial failures and challenges.

Q: What were the significant challenges faced during the rocket development?

The team faced various challenges, including technical hurdles in documentation, rejection from initial competitions, logistical and financial constraints due to international travel, and failures during test launches. Maintaining team morale and focus amidst these setbacks was pivotal to their ongoing efforts.

Q: How did the team's attitude contribute to their progress?

The team's positive attitude, characterized by the Akila spirit, fostered an environment where setbacks were viewed as opportunities for learning rather than failures. This perspective encouraged collaborative problem-solving and innovative thinking, allowing the team to navigate challenges effectively.

Q: What was the outcome of the team's participation in the competition?

Although the rocket did not successfully deploy its parachutes during the final flight and crashed, the team achieved notable recognition in design and build quality and ranked 74th out of 150 teams, indicating their success in documenting and presenting their work as a new team.

Q: Can you explain the significance of the team's fall soldier?

The "fallen soldier" symbolizes the challenges and setbacks encountered during the project but also serves as a testament to the team's resilience and determination. It represents the lessons learned through failure and the team's commitment to their goals despite adversity.

Q: What lesson does the speaker convey about taking risks?

The speaker emphasizes that without taking risks, one cannot achieve success. The adage "100% of the shots you don't take miss" illustrates the importance of action in exploration and innovation, particularly in fields like science and engineering.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The presentation recounts the experience of a student team tasked with building a supersonic rocket for competition, emphasizing their journey through failures and ultimate successes.

• Initially faced with setbacks, the team persisted by redesigning their approach and later competed in the prestigious Spaceport America Cup, showcasing their determination and engineering prowess.

• Despite not achieving a successful flight, the team earned recognition in design quality, learning valuable lessons about resilience, teamwork, and the importance of taking risks.