NIBONG TEBAL, 4 April 2023 – The Wau Rocketry project is hoped to become an inspiration to all students, as the team members strive to realise their passions, dreams and not to allow what can or cannot be achieved in life to dictate their lives.

This was said by the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry, Community Network and Institutional Sustainability), Professor Dr. Azlan Amran during the officiating ceremony of the Wau Rocketry Club on Aero Open Day last Saturday at the USM Engineering Campus in Nibong Tebal.

“Despite the doubts and arguments regarding the challenges of Malaysian students to be able to participate in an international competition, their positivity has finally led the team to compete once again for the upcoming Spaceport America Cup 2023,” said Azlan.

“I was there when they first started this journey from 12 people in the team in 2021.

“Today, with 39 of them on board, I can tell how they have grown as individuals as well as a team, and how they have gone through so many hardships like looking for sponsors, building the rocket from scratch during the pandemic and more,” he added.

Furthermore, Azlan has also emphasized on how the team has made Malaysia proud with their achievement when they were ranked 7th out of 47 teams which competed in the 10,000 ft. COTS Category and ranked 12th out of the total of 99 teams which took part in the Spaceport America Cup 2022.

“It’s good to see many young talented people working together in creating an environment of creativity and erudition.

“Not only that, since they have already laid the foundation, I am very happy to announce that I am looking forward to other achievements of the Wau Rocketry Club and its members in the future,” said Azlan.

Held in New Mexico from 19-25 June 2023, the Spaceport America Cup is the world’s largest intercollegiate rocket engineering conference and competition.

Text: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photo: Wau Rocketry Club