Documents
The documents below are everything a team needs to compete in the IREC and SDL Payload Challenge. Some documents are living documents and others are final. Please check back periodically to make sure you have the most recent document. Unless otherwise noted, all documents and forms/ templates remain valid from their effective date until they are either replaced or otherwise declared obsolete by ESRA. Feel free to contact ESRA with any questions.
IREC Rules & Requirements Document
This document defines the rules and requirements governing participation in the IREC. Additional guidance for collegiate teams entered in the competition is contained in the IREC Design, Test, & Evaluation Guide.
Notes:
2025 v1.6 edition is now available.
Notes:
2025 v1.6 edition is now available.
| 2025 IREC Rules & Requirements Document v1.6 |
Last Updated: March 5, 2025 by acb
SDL Payload Challenge Rules & Information
SDL is excited to be involved with the IREC, focusing on the payload portion of the competition. After all, there’s no reason to launch a rocket unless there’s a payload! SDL is offering prizes to teams that produce meaningful payloads.
| 2025 IREC SDL Payload Challenge Rules and Information |
Last Updated: April 17, 2025 by jem
IREC Design, Test, & Evaluation Guide
This document defines the minimum design, test, and evaluation criteria which the event organizers expect college and university student teams participating in the IREC to uphold. The event organizers use these criteria to promote flight safety. Departures from the guidance this document provides may negatively impact an offending team’s score, and possibly even its flight status depending on the degree of severity. This document supplements the foundational, qualifying criteria for the IREC contained in the IREC Rules & Requirement Document.
Notes:
2025 edition is now available.
Notes:
2025 edition is now available.
| 2025 IREC Design, Test, and Evaluation Guide |
Last Updated: February 25, 2025 by acb
IREC Range Standard Operating Procedures
This document defines the overarching "run-rules" governing IREC activities, most notably all IREC launch operations. IREC team members and individuals closely associated with teams are this document's intended audience. It is not intended for use by members of the general public. Such visitors to the IREC will receive event information relevant to them through other channels.
| 2025 IREC Range Standard Operating Procedures |
Last Updated: April 23, 2024,by acb
2026 IREC Integrated Master Schedule Document
This document primarily defines the schedule on which participants in the IREC must submit required deliverables to the event organizers in order to be considered "timely" in scoring. The impact of timeliness on scoring is described for each respective deliverable in the IREC Rules & Requirements Document. Furthermore, this document integrates other information useful to participants, such as the deadlines for early, on-time, or late payment of fees, due dates for required waivers/forms, and the detailed event schedule of the IREC itself. This information is updated on a regular basis throughout the year, so participants should check regularly to verify they are working with the most current version.
Notes:
2026-A edition is now available.
Notes:
2026-A edition is now available.
| irec_ims-20250719.pdf |
Last Updated: July 19, 2025 acb
2025 IREC Pre-Registration Forms and Instructions
THIS IS NOT THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE (October and November). Important instructions and forms for preparing for the 2025 Event Registration (accepted and invited teams). Following these instructions and submitting the forms properly and prior to the deadline will significantly improve your Team's Check-In process
| 2025 IREC Pre-Registration Forms and Instructions |
Last Updated: March 16, 2025 by acb
Explanation Letter for IREC Fees
The Experimental Sounding Rocket Association can provide this letter to organizations financially supporting IREC teams, to explain and define the fee structure for the competition. Three separate fees make up the entire “IREC Registration Fee”. These are the Entry Fee, the Rocket Fee, and the Rocketeer Fee.
| 2025 IREC Competition Fees Overview |
Last Updated: April 16, 2022 acb
Proper Clothing for the IREC
This document provides student team members, staff and volunteers with a highly recommended style of clothing for dealing with the environment. Wearing inappropriate clothing such as flip flops, swimming attire, etc. can lead to points deductions or even removal from the site.
| Proper Clothing for the IREC |
Last Updated: March 26, 2025 by acb
2025 3rd Progress Report - Video Flight Readiness Review Information
| 2025 3rd Progress Report - Video Flight Readiness Review Information |
Last Updated: March 26, 2025 by acb
2025 Onboard battery reference document
| 2025 Onboard Battery Reference Document |
Last Updated: April 18, 2025 by jem
Progress Report Previews
See below for printouts of the 2025 Progress Reports 1-3. Detailed changes are certain in future years, but the overall content is expected to be similar. These are intended to help teams prepare for Progress Reports before the submission period opens.
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Last Updated: April 13, 2025 by lph
2025 IREC Shipping Instructions to Midland
Instructions for shipping team equipment to Midland.
| 2025_esra_irec_shipping_instructions.pdf |
Last Updated: May 10, 2025 by acb
2025 IREC Team Registration Schedule
Registration opens at 9:00 am. Please note your time slot.
| 2025 IREC Registration Timeslot Allocation |
2025 IREC Student and Vendor Maps
Location maps for the Horseshoe Pavilion and Launch Site for Students and Vendors.
| 2025 IREC Maps |
IREC Contestant Solids Pad Operations Guide
| IREC Contestant Solids Pad Operations Guide |
Last Updated: June 7, 2025
Forms
SDL Payload Challenge Entry Form & Judging Sheet
To enter the SDL Payload Challenge, each interested team shall submit a payload challenge entry form to SDL no later than two weeks prior to the IREC; email to: [email protected]
| 2025 IREC SDL Payload Challenge Entry Judging Sheet |
Last Updated: April 17, 2025 by jem
IREC Project Technical Report Template
Each team shall submit a Project Technical Report which overviews their project for the judging panel and other competition officials. The Project Technical Report shall be formatted according to the style guide of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), using a provided Microsoft® Word document template. These files are to be submitted in pdf format.
| IREC Project Technical Report Template 2022 |
Last Updated: October 1, 2021
Example Risk Assessment Matrix
In accordance with the IREC Rules & Requirements Document, the Project Technical Report appendix shall contain a Risk Assessment. This appendix shall summarize risk and reliability concepts associated with the project. All identified failure modes which pose a risk to mission success shall be recorded in a matrix, organized according to the mission phases identified by the concept of operation (CONOPS). A mitigation approach – by process and/or design – shall be defined for each risk identified. An example of such a matrix is available here.
| Example Risk Assessment Matrix |
Last Updated: October 9, 2016
IREC Extended Abstract Template
Each team shall submit an Extended Abstract on a particular aspect of their work for competition officials and the judging panel to consider including in a Podium Session held during the conference day at the IREC. Teams whose topics are accepted into the Podium Session will be considered eligible for Technical Excellence and Innovation Awards defined in the IREC Rules & Requirements Document. The Extended Abstract shall be formatted according to the style guide of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), using a provided Microsoft® Word document template. The file should be submitted as a pdf format.
| IREC Extended Abstract Template 2017 |
Last Updated: October 9, 2016
Example IREC School Participation Letter
Each team shall have the academic institution(s) in which its members are enrolled provide a signed letter to the event organizers, acknowledging the team's participation in the IREC. The signature shall be that of a faculty member or other paid, non-student staff representative. This will affirm the team in question does in fact represent the academic institution(s) its members claim affiliation with. Academic institutions sending more than one team to the IREC need only write one participation letter, covering all their teams, but each included team must submit an individual copy of that letter. In the case of a joint team, comprised of students from multiple academic institutions, each affiliated institution must provide its own letter to the team.
| Example IREC School Participation Letter 2017 |
Last Updated: October 9, 2016
IREC Waiver and Release of Liability Form
Every individual attending the ITEC – including team members, faculty advisers, and other invited guests – shall digitally sign the IREC Waiver and Release of Liability Form. Individuals who do not sign this form will be unable to participate in any activities during the IREC.
The IREC Waiver and Release of Liability Form is available for digital signature at the following web address:
TBD
The IREC Waiver and Release of Liability Form is available for digital signature at the following web address:
TBD
Last Updated: May 12, 2018
Sample IREC Flight Safety Review Resolution Form
The following sample of the IREC Flight Safety Review Resolution Form is provided for participants' reference purposes only. The flier's actual form will be issued at the event by an inspector from the Flight Safety Team. The Launch approval process, including the Flight Safety Review, is defined in the Standard Operating Procedures.
| Sample IREC Flight Safety Review Resolution Form v2.0 |
Last Updated: June 3, 2019
Sample IREC Consolidated Flight Card & Post Flight Record
The following sample of the IREC Consolidated Flight Card and Post Flight Record is provided for participants' reference purposes only. The flier's actual form will be issued at the event by an inspector from the Launch Operations Team. The Launch approval process, including the use of the Consolidated Flight Card and Post Flight Record is defined in the Standard Operating Procedures.
| Sample IREC Consolidated Flight Card & Post Flight Record v1.1 |
Last Updated: June 3, 2019
Artwork
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ESRA InsigniaThink our insignia looks pretty cool? Want a high quality version of it to display on things? Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc... Have fun!
Las Updated: December 13, 2016
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IREC BrandingWith a new event comes new branding. Below are the files needed for the IREC Logos. For any questions on Spaceport branding please refer to their website.
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Coin Logos
These are the PNG files used to create all of the chips at the event.
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2025 Mission PatchesThe mission patch for the 2025 IREC at Spaceport Midland in Texas. This one will be a collectors item as it is the first patch from Spaceport Midland. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc.
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2024 Mission PatchesThe mission patch for the 2024 IREC at the Seventh Annual Spaceport America Cup. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc.
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2023 Mission Patch
We're pleased to present the mission patch for the 2023 IREC at the Sixth Annual Spaceport America Cup. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc... Have fun!
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| 2023 SA CUP Mission Patch PNG |
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2022 Mission Patch & 15th Anniversary Logo
To celebrate our return to flight in 2022, we have designed this patch to feature elements of ESRA, Spaceport, IREC, and New Mexico. Additionally, we have the patch for the 15th Anniversary of the IREC event which recycles a lot of our ESRA logo, gives a recognition to Spaceport with the silhouette of their building, and feature a rocket for every year the IREC has been held. Feel free to print both and feature them in your documentation and even your hardware.
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2020 IREC Mission PatchUnfortunately, the 2020 Cup was cancelled due to COVID. But here's the patch we designed for it.
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2019 IREC Mission PatchWe're pleased to present the mission patch for the 2019 IREC at the Third Annual Spaceport America Cup. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc... Have fun!
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2018 IREC Mission PatchWe're pleased to present the mission patch for the 2018 IREC at the Second Annual Spaceport America Cup. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc... Have fun!
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2017 IREC Mission PatchWe're pleased to present the mission patch for the 2017 IREC at the First Annual Spaceport America Cup. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc... Have fun!
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2016 IREC Mission PatchWe're pleased to present the mission patch for the 2016 IREC. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc... Have fun!
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2015 IREC Mission PatchWe're pleased to present the mission patch for the Tenth Anniversary of the IREC. Please feel free to download this full resolution file and use it as you see fit - for promotion, to decorate your rocket, etc... Have fun!
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