. 24/7 Space News .
ROCKET SCIENCE
Winners Announced for NASA, Orbital ATK Rocketry Challenge
by Angela Storey for MSFC News
Huntsville AL (SPX) May 15, 2017


(left) A high-powered rocket, one of nearly 50 student-built rockets, soars skyward during the 2017 Student Launch event. (Top Right) River City Rocketry, from the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky, won first place in the 2017 Student Launch event held near NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, April 8. (Lower Right) Students from Cornell University of Ithaca, in New York, display their rocket for an on-air interview with NASA TV. Credits: NASA et al

For the first time in four years, a new team has won NASA's Student Launch, the agency's high-powered rocketry challenge, hosted by and held near NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, April 5-8. The River City Rocketry team from the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky, captured top honors.

They've proven hard work and determination pays off, literally, taking home a cash prize of $5,000, offered by Orbital ATK of Promontory, Utah, longtime corporate sponsor of the challenge. No stranger to success, this team from the bluegrass state placed second last year. Since 2011, they've earned 10 awards, including Best Vehicle Design, Safety Award, Project Award and more.

In second place, after a record-setting "four-peat" as champions, is Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. They earned a cash prize of $2,500, offered by new sponsor, the National Space Club - Huntsville. For 10 straight years, Vanderbilt soared to success with innovative rocket designs and payloads, and this year was no exception. Having earned more than 20 awards the past decade, the Commodores of Vanderbilt added the 2017 Payload Design, Rocket Fair Display and Education Engagement awards.

Rounding out the top five is Cornell University of Ithaca, in New York; the University of Alabama in Huntsville; and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, in third through fifth place, respectively. The 2017 Rookie of the Year award goes to the University of Evansville, in Evansville, Indiana.

Cornell University, having placed third in back-to-back years, also cracked the top five in 2015, making them a perennial power. The same is true for the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, earning top five finishes in both 2017 and 2015.

While veteran teams prove consistent participation in Student launch helps - especially since this year's top three teams repeated (though, in a different order) - the novice and rookie teams continue to excel. For example, the University of Huntsville - Alabama team was made up of all-rookie members, yet launched their way to fourth place.

Finishing first may be fun, but it's not the most important aspect. Student Launch is a real-world outlet for young people to apply lessons learned in class toward relevant and cost-effective research into propulsion and recovery systems.

Nearly 50 student teams from middle and high schools, colleges and universities in 22 states demonstrated advanced rocketry and engineering skills. Teams spent eight months building and testing rockets designed to fly to an altitude of one mile, deploy an automated parachute system, and safely land for reuse, each carrying a scientific payload for data collection during flight.

"It's exciting to see team designs and enable them to conduct meaningful research into NASA's journey to Mars and beyond," said Katie Wallace of Marshall's Academic Affairs Office. "Working through the NASA design process, students gain a broader understanding of current projects, like the Space Launch System, NASA's next deep-space exploration rocket."

On April 8, preliminary awards for additional achievements such as best vehicle design, safety, best team website and more were announced during an awards ceremony at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, hosted by Orbital ATK. View the full list of preliminary award winners here.

The Academic Affairs Office at Marshall manages Student Launch to further NASA's education goal of attracting and encouraging students to pursue degrees and careers in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NASA's Office of Education and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, as well as Orbital ATK's Propulsion Systems Division and the National Space Club - Huntsville, provide funding and leadership.

As the high-pitched whistle of rocket launches have faded, next year's teams are on deck, ready to solve thrust-to-weight ratios and kinetic energy predictions. After all, it IS rocket science.

To view behind-the-scene photos of this year's Student Launch, visit the Marshall Center's education album on Flick here

ROCKET SCIENCE
First Contract under Booster Propulsion Technology Maturation BAA Complete
Los Angeles AFB (AFNS) May 09, 2017
The first of ten contracts awarded under the Booster Propulsion Technology Maturation Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) was recently completed. Moog Inc. successfully completed a "Non-Destructive Evaluation, Standards, and Testing" project, March 13. The company met all program objectives and completed all deliverables on time and on budget during the 15-month period of performance. The Sp ... read more

Related Links
NASA's Student Launch Program
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

ROCKET SCIENCE
Six-legged livestock - sustainable food production

External commercial ISS platform starts second mission

NASA Receives Proposals for Future Solar System Mission

'Road to Nowhere': Retired Cosmonaut Reveals How It Feels to Walk in Space

ROCKET SCIENCE
Winners Announced for NASA, Orbital ATK Rocketry Challenge

First Contract under Booster Propulsion Technology Maturation BAA Complete

GSLV Successfully Launches South Asia Satellite

ISRO Successfully Launches GSAT-9 'SAARC' South Asian Communication Satellite

ROCKET SCIENCE
Seasonal Flows in Valles Marineris

NASA Rover Curiosity Samples Active Linear Dune on Mars

Is Anything Tough Enough to Survive on Mars

Japan aims to uncover how moons of Mars formed

ROCKET SCIENCE
China to conduct several manned space flights around 2020

Reach for the Stars: China Plans to Ramp Up Space Flight Activity

China's cargo spacecraft completes in-orbit refueling

China courts international coalition set up to promote space cooperation

ROCKET SCIENCE
Allied Minds' portfolio company BridgeSat raises $6 million in Series A financing

AIA report outlines policies needed to boost the US Space Industry competitiveness

Blue Sky Network Targets Key Markets For Iridium SATCOM Solutions

How Outsourcing Your Satellite Related Services Saves You Time and Money

ROCKET SCIENCE
A bath for precision printing of 3-D silicone structures

Physical keyboards make virtual reality typing easier

Inverse designing spontaneously self-assembling materials

Scientists create hologram that changes images as it is stretched

ROCKET SCIENCE
Oldest evidence of life on land found in 3.48-billion-year-old Australian rocks

Bacteria living in marine sponge produce toxic compounds found in man-made products

Taking the pulse of an ocean world

When a brown dwarf is actually a planetary mass object

ROCKET SCIENCE
Not So Great Anymore: Jupiter's Red Spot Shrinks to Smallest Size Ever

The PI's Perspective: No Sleeping Back on Earth!

ALMA investigates 'DeeDee,' a distant, dim member of our solar system

Nap Time for New Horizons









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.