HUNTSVILLE — It’s only fitting that a university in the Rocket City would be the overall winner in NASA’s Student Launch challenge.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville picked up a first-place; a second-place; and three third-place finishes in several categories to win the space agency’s annual competition.
UAH won the college level American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Reusable Launch Vehicle Innovative Payload Award; was second in the college level Safety Award; third in the college level Altitude Award; the AIAA Reusable Launch Vehicle Award; and the college level STEM Engagement Award.
Auburn University took third place in the college level Best-Looking Rocket Award.
More than 800 students from across the U.S. launched high-powered, amateur rockets April 15, near the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, as part of the culminating event for the agency’s annual Student Launch challenge.
“Students are required to meet complex requirements and high expectations, literally,” said Fred Kepner, an education program specialist and activity lead for Student Launch at Marshall. “Student Launch is an authentic learning experience – one offering students experience working through the same processes NASA and our partners use for safety and quality control of space missions.”
For nine months, teams of middle school, high school, college, and university students were tasked to design, build, and launch a rocket and scientific payload to an altitude between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, while making a successful landing and executing a scientific or engineering payload mission.
“Our students share unique perspectives and design innovative technologies to address real-world difficulties of space exploration,” said Kevin McGhaw, director of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement – Southeast Region. “As NASA celebrates its 23rd year of Student Launch, we are proud to help develop the next generation of skilled engineers and explorers capable of supporting NASA’s Artemis missions.”
Student Launch is one of NASA’s nine Artemis Student Challenges, activities which connect student ingenuity with NASA’s work returning to the moon under Artemis in preparation for human exploration of Mars.
Marshall hosts Student Launch with management support provided by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement – Southeast Region.
Funding is provided, in part, by NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate and NASA’s Next Gen STEM project.
Additional support is provided by Northrup Grumman, National Space Club Huntsville, AIAA, National Association of Rocketry, Relativity Space, Bastion Technologies, and Siemens Digital Industries Software.
Click here to watch replays of the launch event and award ceremony.
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