M’sian students to debut Hebat rocket in prestigious global showdown

NIBONG TEBAL – For the first time, Malaysia will participate in the global prestigious high-powered rocket launch competition, the Spaceport America Cup 2022, in New Mexico, United States.

Malaysia will be represented by 11 students from Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) engineering faculty in the competition taking place between June 20 and 25.

The group, named WAU Rocketry USM, is entering the competition with a self-made rocket named Hebat.

The WAU Rocketry USM team has received sponsorship from 15 companies, including the PETRA Group, apart from crowd-funding carried out between November 2021 and April this year.

The Hebat rocket – named with the acronym of the words Holistic, Entrepreneur, Balance, Articulate, and Thinking – is designed with the Jalur Gemilang national flag’s colours of red, white, blue, and yellow.

WAU Rocketry team leader A. Vanmitha said her team took eight months to complete the rocket at a total cost of RM210,000.

“We faced various challenges completing this project. However, in the end we were lucky to be selected to represent the country, and compete alongside 22 other countries.

“We also hope to win and be an inspiration to other aerospace students. Currently, many students think that this field has no future.

“But who knows, maybe in the next 10 years, Malaysia will have its own rocket,” she said at a press conference after the Hebat Rocket Launch Ceremony in USM today.

Apart from Malaysia, Thailand is among the Southeast Asian representatives participating in the competition.

The Hebat rocket is the first high-powered rocket in the country to be made by students.

The homegrown rocket will carry four kilogrammes of nanosatellites and aims to measure environmental conditions and conduct data transmissions to earth stations.

Meanwhile, USM Engineering Campus director Prof Nor Azazi Zakaria said in his speech that the program was run by the students themselves, with the guidance of lecturers.

Nor Azazi, who shed joyous tears, said he was proud of the students’ achievements, and was also honoured to provide a personal contribution of RM10,000 to encourage the team.

“We need the prayers of Malaysians. They have tried hard, and we hope they return home with success,” he said.

The students will depart tonight, transiting via Kuala Lumpur before continuing their journey to the US accompanied by their lecturer and team adviser Norilmi Amilia Ismail. – The Vibes, June 16, 2022