Recently, NASA announced the University of Alabama in Huntsville as the winner of the agency’s 2023 Student Launch challenge. This challenge involved designing, building, and launching a rocket and scientific payload to an altitude of between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. More than 800 students across the U.S. and Puerto Rico participated in this event, which was conducted on April 15th, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The participating students were from various academic levels, including middle school, high school, college, and university. The winning teams were awarded in various categories, including Altitude Award, Payload Design Award, Vehicle Design Award, and many more.

“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.”

This challenge is a great opportunity for students to develop skills required for space exploration while applying theoretical knowledge practically. NASA is proud to contribute to the development of the next generation of skilled engineers and explorers, who can support NASA’s Artemis missions. The agency aims to inspire and encourage students to become the future of space exploration.

The complete list of award winners are as follows:

2023 Overall Winners

• First place: University of Alabama in Huntsville
• Second place: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Third place: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

3D Printing Award:

College Level:

• First place: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
   

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: East Aurora High School, East Aurora, New York

Altitude Award: 

College Level: 

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• First place: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
• Second place: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Third place: University of Alabama in Huntsville

Middle/High School Level:  

• First place: Spring Grove Area High School, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania
• Second place: Camas High School, Camas, Washington
• Third place: MATHmania Robotics, Mission Viejo, California

Best-Looking Rocket Award: 

College Level:

• First place: North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Second place: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
• Third place: Auburn University, Alabama
   

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Cedar Falls High School, Iowa
• Second place: Yamhill Carlton High School, Yamhill, Oregon
• Third place: Boy Scouts Troop 17, Charlottesville, Virginia

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Reusable Launch Vehicle Innovative Payload Award:

College Level:

• First place: University of Alabama in Huntsville
• Second place: Washington University in St. Louis
• Third place: University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Judges’ Choice Award:

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, Iowa 
• Second place: Seabrook Intermediate School, Seabrook, Texas
• Third place: MATHmania Robotics, Mission Viejo, California 

Project Review Award: 

College Level: 

• First place: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Second place: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee  
• Third place: University of Notre Dame, Indiana

AIAA Reusable Launch Vehicle Award: 

College Level: 

• First place: New York University, New York
• Second place: Washington University in St. Louis
• Third place: University of Alabama in Huntsville

AIAA Rookie Award:

College Level:

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• First place: United States Military Academy, West Point, New York
• Second place: Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas
• Third place: University of Central Florida, Orlando

Safety Award:

College Level:

• First place: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Second place: University of Alabama in Huntsville
• Third place: University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Social Media Award: 

College Level: 

• First place: University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
• Second place: North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Third place: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
   

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Morris County 4-H Rocketry Club, Morris County, New Jersey
• Second place: East Aurora High School, East Aurora, New York
• Third place: Boy Scouts Troop 17, Charlottesville, Virginia

STEM Engagement Award:

College Level:

• First place: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
• Second place: University of Notre Dame, Indiana
• Third place: University of Alabama in Huntsville
   

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, Iowa
• Second place: MATHmania Robotics, Mission Viejo, California
• Third place: Camas High School, Camas, Washington

Service Academy Award:

• First place: The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York

Vehicle Design Award:

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Yamhill Carlton Rocketry, Yamhill, Oregon
• Second place: Spring Grove Area High School, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania
• Third place: Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Payload Design Award: 

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Portland Rocketry, Portland, Oregon
• Second place: Yamhill Carlton Rocketry, Yamhill, Oregon
• Third place: Seabrook Intermediate School, Seabrook, Texas

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.

“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.”

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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, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Association of Rocketry, Relativity Space, Bastion Technologies, and Siemens Digital Industries Software.

Replays of this launch event and award ceremony are available on NASA’s Marshall YouTube and the Student Launch Facebook page.

For more information about the Student Launch challenge, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/2HWL80t

Source: NASA

Check out the STM Science section for more news: https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/

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NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station will speak to students from St. Mark’s Episcopal School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The Earth-to-space call will air live at 10:10 a.m. EDT Thursday, May 25, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

NASA astronauts Steve Bowen, Woody Hoburg, and Frank Rubio will answer prerecorded questions from pre-K and second through eighth grade students. The downlink is part of the school’s “Space Week” where students will participate in challenges related to space exploration. Through the downlink, students can look to NASA astronauts as an example of how to best be stewards of our planet and beyond. The school’s “Space Week” activity lesson plans will be shared with other community schools through the Cox Science Center and Aquarium website.

Media interested in covering the event should respond no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, by contacting Naki Carter at: cafenaki@gmail.com or 313-283-1427.

For more than 22 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts living in space aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Near Space Network.

Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the International Space Station benefit people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration.

As part of Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

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See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

(Family Features) Although most school districts have implemented technology that makes it easy to connect with teachers, you may still wonder how to create dialogue within your district about larger scale issues than your child’s homework assignments.

One example is sustainability, which is an issue many parents feel strongly about. Opening conversations with leaders in the school district can result in many kinds of eco-friendly changes, such as a greater commitment to recycling and teaching kids about the importance of protecting the environment. Transportation is another area where districts can make more sustainable choices, which can also save money over time.

Most of the school buses on the road today run on diesel, which is known to cause respiratory issues like asthma and bronchitis. There are two primary energy alternatives to diesel for clean student transportation: propane and electric. While both can achieve clean transportation, the cost to do so is not equal.

Propane is a fraction of the cost for the initial bus purchase and infrastructure is affordable, scalable and available in communities across the country. What’s more, propane has a range of 400 miles, allowing a sizable vehicle like a bus to reliably travel long distances without stopping to refuel.

If you’d like to talk with your school district about reducing emissions in your community and saving money for your district’s budget, consider these tips:

Compile Information to Share
Your concerns are more likely to attract attention if you collect meaningful details and data to support your request. In addition to statistics and research that explain why your school district should reconsider traditional diesel transportation, you might also gather information on the district’s transportation expenses. You can make your points more relevant by learning about how other districts in your area are making sustainable choices like choosing propane buses.

Write a Letter to District Officials
Once you thoroughly research and organize the details most relevant to your community, you can begin to share it with others. One important step is a letter to the school district that documents your concerns and conveys the importance of clean, safe, healthy transportation for children. The key is to not only spell out the harm being caused, but also to provide a viable solution.

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Educate District Officials
Once you’ve gone on record with a letter, you can work to educate leaders in the school district about clean energy buses. Often, a school board meeting is the most efficient way to open this dialogue because you can address the entire board at once. An added benefit is other members of the community who are deeply interested in school operations are likely to attend, and reporters covering the school district may also hear and report on your information, which can spread word to the larger community.

Call a Parent-Teacher Meeting
Working together, parents and teachers have a strong voice within the school system. A meeting among like-minded parents and teachers can be a forum for you to collectively develop a strategy for gathering further support for your cause, educating about the importance of the issue and ultimately driving change for your community.

Visit BetterOurBuses.com to find resources to talk to your school district about important matters like switching to propane school buses.

SOURCE:
Propane Education & Research Council