The Yellow Jacket Space Program (YJSP) at Georgia Tech is no ordinary student group. With 300 members and the bold goal of becoming the first student team to launch a liquid-fueled rocket into space, they required a file management system that could keep pace.
Their current project is the Vespula rocket, aiming to reach 100,000 feet with a planned launch in the middle of next year.
Previously, YJSP used SharePoint to manage their CAD files and documents. “It was a pretty poor solution,” says Braden J. Anderson, “but it was the only option available to us as a student team.”
The team discovered Kenesto through the Yellow Jacket Flying Club, who recommended it based on their positive experience. Since the team uses SolidWorks for all their 3D designs and handles complex rocket systems, switching to Kenesto made an immediate impact.
“Kenesto has been invaluable to our team,” says Vedanth Jonnalagadda, Lead of Felicette Engine Development. “When I joined YJSP, the system was hard to use, and I was always worried about accidentally deleting CAD files or overwriting others’ work. The file checkout feature makes collaboration easy without the risk of overwriting changes. Also, linking drawings to CAD files has been helpful before manufacturing, preventing the use of outdated drawings.”
What makes Kenesto ideal for YJSP? The team explains that it’s perfectly tailored for mid-sized groups aiming to keep CAD files organized, implement basic version control, and steadily improve their CAD management workflows.
For a student team building rocket engines and aiming for space, reliable file management isn’t just a convenience, it’s critical.
We’re proud to support YJSP and look forward to seeing where the Vespula rocket takes them next year.