International Rocket Engineering Competition
June 15-20, 2026
POWERED BY THE MDC.
Where College Dreams Take Off: The IREC Rocket Competition
Every year since 2006, college teams from around the world have come together for the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), the largest collegiate rocket event on the planet! Hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ERSA), over 150 teams spend their year designing, building, and testing their rockets to launch at this competition. Each rocket carries a small payload and aims for target altitudes of 10,000, 30,000, or even 45,000 feet, with designs up to 20 feet long and a variety of fuel systems providing the power.
Why Midland, Texas?
In 2025, IREC came to Midland, Texas for the first time because it was the perfect location. The area offers plenty of open sky and a higher clearance than their previous location in Spaceport America New Mexico, along with local support and a newfound excitement for space and engineering. With its growing space industry, Midland provided a safe and welcoming launchpad for teams from all over the world.
2025 Competitor Interviews
David
Universidad Aeronáutica en Querétaro, Mexico
Geethika & Akash
Manipal Institute of Technology, India
Oliver, Megan, & Redmond
Monash University, Australia
FAQs
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ABSOLUTELY! All 3 events are open to the public. You do need to register beforehand in order to attend. Registration is completely free.
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www.soundingrocket.org/spectator (but you are already here, click here to register!)
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Visit www.soundingrocket.org for more information. More specifically choose from the "IREC Competition" menu above. You are welcome to browse information related to the current and past IREC events.
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Visit http://www.soundingrocket.org/spectator for more information on the schedule
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YES. Food will be available at the Convention on Tuesday and at the launch site (Wed - Sat). There will NOT be any food for the awards ceremony on Saturday evening.
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ABSOLUTELY! Visit our Youtube channel and subscribe for alerts: www.youtube.com/@esrarocket
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Student competitors may go to the spectator area and visit with anyone. Spectators are NOT ALLOWED to enter the student rocket prep areas.
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For the Convention Tuesday, you may bring chairs and food. For the launch site days (Wed - Sat), you can bring shade, chairs and food. For the Saturday awards ceremony, you should NOT bring shade, chairs or food.
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Unfortunately at this time, there are no options for public transportation to the launch site. We are looking into options for both private and public transportation.
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What is ERSA and why does it matter?
How long has ERSA been inspiring innovation?
How is ERSA making a global impact?
How many countries are represented this year?
How does ERSA create opportunities for students?
Why is Midland a key part of the ERSA experience?
What are the new categories for this year?
How are ERSA competitions fueling engineering innovation?
How many students are competing in ERSA competitions?
What makes Midland an ideal host location?
Why should the public attend the ERSA competition?
Who sponsors ERSA—and what does that mean for students?
Ready to Join Us?
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