Brazoswood Rocketry Team Unveils “Fennec I” Ahead of Record-Breaking Launch Attempt

Monday evening, the Brazoswood High School Goddard team proudly revealed their newest and most advanced Goddard Rocket to date, Fennec I. The reveal took place during a special team event showcasing the culmination of thousands of hours of extensive research, design, peer review, testing, and fabrication. They will take their hybrid Goddard Rocket to the National Competition in White Sands, New Mexico.

All systems are GO for this rocket standing 19 feet tall, weighing 195 lbs and with a capability of reaching over 50,000 feet, Fennec I has earned its nickname “the desert fox.” The Brazoswood team will attempt to break their own current world record for High School SRAD (Student Researched and Designed) Hybrid Rockets, set in 2022 by Horizon 1 Rocket, which soared to an altitude of 45,482 feet—a record that has cemented their legacy in the student rocketry world. The team will leave for White Sands Missile Range on Wednesday. Friday, they will perform flight checks and readiness reviews. Saturday the launch window opens.

Brazoswood is a part of SystemsGo, a project-based engineering program that has extended its rocket program into over 70 schools across multiple states. This unique open-ended curriculum puts the research, design, and fabrication of these impressive rockets into the hands of the students, and opens the door to collaboration with NASA and many other aerospace and engineering companies.

The project is led by instructor and mentor Chris McLeod, who praised the team’s extraordinary dedication and ingenuity. "I say this every year, but I am incredibly proud of these teams. The rocket building is only a conduit for the real lessons learned here - teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and failing forward," said McLeod.

Brazosport ISD Superintendent, Danny Massey said, “We are extremely proud to offer such outstanding learning experiences and opportunities in a state-of-the-art Rocketry lab, and we are grateful for the support of our community sponsors. Our students and Mr. McLeod work very hard each year to design, build, and successfully launch their rocket.”

Team Members:

Toul Adebisi – Texas A&M, Computer Science
Avery Arthur – Texas A&M, Engineering
Ava Andress – Texas A&M, Nursing
Manuel Cardenas – MIT, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Bryan Elliott – Sam Houston, Physics
Greg Esquivel – Texas A&M, Engineering
Sabir Fisher – Brazosport College
Michaela Gutermuth – Texas A&M, Engineering
Gosha Krasovsky – UT, Mechanical Engineering
Emma Laurel – Texas A&M, Nursing
Amelia Lusk – University of Houston, Geophysics
Penelope Mulholland – Texas A&M, Engineering
Lindsey Nichols – Texas A&M, Construction Science
Veronika Reznichenko – Texas A&M, Engineering
Nick Thompson – UT Arlington, Architecture & Music

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
The Brazoswood Rocketry Team extends sincere gratitude to the sponsors who made Fennec I possible:

• DOW
• BASF
• SYSTEMS GO
• Olin
• Gems Sensors & Controls
• Swagelok
• Da Vinci Maker Labs
• Brazosport College
• NASA
• Mueller Mfg., Inc. (MMI)

Your support fuels innovation, education, and dreams that launch beyond the skies. Thank you for helping our students strive for excellence and aim higher.

As the rocket team heads west for their record-breaking mission, the Brazoswood community and their entire BISD family will proudly cheer them on.

Go Buccaneers. Go Fennec I. Aim high, fly higher!