Who is Blue Crane Space?
Blue Crane Space is a student society within the University of Pretoria that focuses on engineering (aerospace), pure mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics, chemistry and theoretical physics.
Blue Crane Space serves as a house that fosters and materialises innovative ideas of university students. It also offers non-BSc students opportunities to gain experience in their relative fields like marketing, finance, and multimedia.
Joining the Team
The BC MK 1 rocket
I joined the engineering department during their ambitious BC MK 1 rocket development, initially feeling out of depth as I was still learning aerospace fundamentals. Witnessing the society's rapid growth in real-time - with engineers passionately debating propulsion systems and flight algorithms - completely redefined what I thought students could achieve.
The Rocket Development Journey
The team spent 8 months perfecting the BC MK 1, completing complex components like the flight computer - originally targeting a 500m apogee. However, they faced critical hurdles:
- Launch Site Logistics: Pretoria's busy airspace prevented SA Airforce assistance
- Nozzle Design: The optimal throat diameter proved impossibly small to machine
These challenges prompted a complete redesign. The 2023 leadership team made the bold decision to upscale the rocket for easier machining, requiring more thrust and the prestigious Overberg Test Range as their new launch site.
My Transition to Computer Science
In 2024, the Computer Science Department was established, and I became its coordinator. I was excited to take on the role, having been inspired by how well the Engineering Department was run, especially their welcoming attitude towards newcomers and those still learning. I struggled to implement all my ideas and didn’t anticipate how demanding it would be, so not everything worked out.
Still, I’m proud of my time with Blue Crane Space. Witnessing the society’s professional-grade systems engineering — from avionics to launch simulations — was profoundly inspiring.
My Contributions
Being part of Blue Crane Space was a deeply rewarding experience. I took on the role of Computer Science Department coordinator and contributed to a range of initiatives, from web and graphic design to education. The journey was full of challenges, but it pushed me to grow and explore new ways of making a difference. Below are some of the key contributions I made during my time with the team.
Website Design
Website Brief
The website needed to contain:
- Organisational breakdown
- Contact and social media links
- Project showcase
- Event calendar
Website Map
Design Iterations
Initial layout concept
Final layout design
Detailed view of final design
Final Wireframe
GitHub Tutorial
The goal was to introduce the basic fundamental concepts of Git, including pushes and merges. To do this, I presented users with a task where they had to draw an image of the Mandalorian mask.
The Mandalorian mask template provided to users as the starting point.
The task involved making incremental changes to the images, while demonstrating how users could backtrack to previous versions. This would later be used to explain the concept of commits.
Basic outline of the parts to be drawn throughout the tasks.
Starting with the base and adding elements incrementally - this represented commits.
Then we add more changes but get to a point where we want to go back and make changes - this point in the presentation leads to the discussion on branches.
Then, from any point, I showed how creating two versions of the same base object allows working on different variations simultaneously. I used this to illustrate branching and merging in Git.
Then we decide to make a copy to work from.
This is where we create 2 copies of the same point and then make changes on both copies.
This clearly shows how we created copies and "branched" off - this explains branches.
And so on. Happy to talk more about this if you're interested. Just reach out if you want to see more!
Merchandise Design
I had the pleasure of designing posters and stickers for Blue Crane Space. Inspired by the society's mission, I created visuals that captured the excitement of space exploration and scientific discovery.
Posters
Stickers
Reflection
Working with Blue Crane Space was an incredibly rewarding experience. Seeing how passionate and dedicated the team was to advancing space science and technology in South Africa was truly inspiring.
What continues to amaze me is how this entirely student-run team manages to achieve such professional-level work while balancing academic commitments. The late-night rocket calculations, the weekend prototyping sessions - their dedication redefined what I thought was possible at university level.
The society's interdisciplinary approach showed me how diverse skills can come together to achieve ambitious goals. I'm excited to see how Blue Crane Space continues to grow and make an impact in the aerospace community.