aerospace
NASA Names Winners of 2023 Student Rocket Launch Competition



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:
- 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:
- 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.”
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:
Source: NASA
Check out the STM Science section for more news: https://stmdailynews.com/category/science/
aerospace
United States Space Force: Protecting America’s Interests in Space
“Learn about the United States Space Force: its formation, purpose, and role in protecting national security and space assets.”
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, established to protect American interests in space. It was formed on December 20, 2019, when President Donald Trump signed the United States Space Force Act, making it the first new independent military service in over 70 years.



While the concept of a Space Force had been discussed since the 1950s, the need for a dedicated space-focused military branch became increasingly evident with the growing importance of space in national security and defense. The USSF operates under the Department of the Air Force, similar to how the Marine Corps operates under the Department of the Navy. It is led by the Secretary of the Air Force and its military heads are the Chief of Space Operations and the Vice Chief of Space Operations.
The Space Force’s primary purpose is to ensure the freedom of operation in space and protect U.S. space assets. It is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping space forces, which are then deployed to the unified combatant commands, particularly the United States Space Command. The Space Force operates various programs and systems, including GPS, the Space Fence, military satellite communications constellations, X-37B spaceplanes, the U.S. missile warning system, the U.S. space surveillance network, and the Satellite Control Network.



The USSF’s formation marked a significant recognition of the critical role space plays in national security, communication, and technological advancement. As the world becomes increasingly reliant on space-based assets for navigation, communication, and intelligence gathering, the Space Force aims to protect these capabilities, deter aggression, and maintain superiority in space.
By establishing the Space Force, the United States has demonstrated its commitment to safeguarding its interests in space and maintaining its position as a global leader in space capabilities. As technology continues to advance and more nations venture into space, the United States Space Force will play a vital role in ensuring the security and resilience of American assets in this final frontier. Kindly click on the link for further details: https://www.spaceforce.mil/
aerospace
NASA Announces Near-Earth Communications, Navigation Industry Studies
NASA selected four companies to perform capability studies with the goal of enhancing its space communication and navigation services in three areas: wideband satellite communications, phased array ground systems, and constellation topology analysis. Through these studies, NASA aims to better understand industry strengths, streamline operations, and smoothly shift to commercial services for space communication and navigation.
The contract awardees are:
- Cesium Astro of Austin, Texas, for $395,640 (Study Area 1 – Wideband Satellite Communications)
- Swedish Space Corporation of Horsham, Pennsylvania, for $149,028 (Study Area 2 – Phased Array Ground Systems)
- Intuitive Machines of Houston, Texas, for $126,650 (Study Area 3 – Constellation Topology Analysis)
- MTI Systems of Lothian, Maryland, for $91,012 (Study Area 3 – Constellation Topology Analysis)
The awards, under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Appendix L, are firm fixed-price milestone-based contracts.
“The agency’s overarching goal is to create a reliable, robust, and cost-effective set of commercial services for space communications and navigation in which space mission users can seamlessly “roam” between an array of space-based and ground-based networks,” said Greg Heckler, commercialization lead for NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.
SCaN manages the agency’s two main networks: the Deep Space Network for distant missions and the Near Space Network for missions operating closer to Earth, operated through a mix of government and commercial entities. NASA seeks to create an interoperable architecture composed of a mixture of existing NASA and commercial services. These awards are furthering the agency’s long-term goal of a smooth transition to fully commercialized communications services for near-Earth users.
While each of the awards are diverse in scope, they serve to advance NASA’s understanding of the commercial communications and navigation landscape.
Cesium Astro will take on a forward-thinking study in wideband terminal design that will tap into their technological expertise and established enterprise partnerships.
Swedish Space Corporation, along with the support of Celestia Technologies Group, will conduct an in-depth study on cutting-edge phased array technologies and contribute to the exploration of economically viable lower-cost network solutions.
Intuitive Machines and MTI Systems will provide NASA with insights from satellite constellation crosslink topology studies to inform the agency’s immediate requirements and chart pathways to steer future endeavors.
These studies may add to the evolution of the agency’s Near Space Network and NASA’s vision for a resilient and robust space and ground communications and navigation infrastructure.
NASA’s Near Space Network is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, under the direction of the SCaN program. SCaN continues to pursue regular industry engagement to identify matches between commercial capabilities and future NASA needs.
Learn more about the NextSTEP public-private partnership model at:
aerospace
Boom Supersonic Advances Flight Preparations for XB-1: Key Milestones Completed
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1: Advancing supersonic flight with key milestones and preparations for first flight. #aviation #supersonic



Boom Supersonic, the pioneer in supersonic travel, has achieved significant milestones in the development of XB-1, their groundbreaking technology demonstrator aircraft. Leveraging cutting-edge advancements in aviation technology, XB-1 is a stepping stone towards the development of Overture, the world’s fastest airliner. With recent progress in preparing XB-1 for its first flight, Boom Supersonic is one step closer to revolutionizing air travel.
A Major Move and Extensive Ground Testing:
Earlier this year, XB-1 was relocated from Boom’s hangar in Centennial, Colorado, to the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, marking an important step in the flight preparations. Since arriving at Mojave, the aircraft has undergone rigorous ground testing, including recent taxi testing, showcasing the company’s commitment to safety and performance.


















Key Approvals and Authorizations:
Boom Supersonic has achieved significant regulatory milestones for XB-1. The aircraft has received an experimental airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a thorough inspection. Additionally, Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker and test pilot Tristan “Gepetto” Brandenburg have been granted authorization to fly XB-1. Furthermore, letters of agreement with airspace authorities have been secured, allowing for flights over the Mojave desert—an airspace rich in aviation history.
Safety and Proficiency:
The development of XB-1 has provided valuable insights for Boom Supersonic, including the establishment of a robust safety culture. The test pilots have completed extensive simulator training, evaluations, and human factors assessments to ensure the highest levels of safety. To further enhance safety protocols, the test pilots maintain flight proficiency in a T-38 trainer aircraft, which will also serve as a chase plane during XB-1’s flight tests.
The Path to Overture:
XB-1’s successful progress has validated Boom Supersonic’s airplane design approach and enabled engineers to leverage advanced tools such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD). These learnings will be instrumental in the development of Overture, Boom’s sustainable supersonic airliner designed for twice the speed of current airliners and optimized for 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Boom Supersonic’s achievements in advancing flight preparations for XB-1 are a testament to their dedication to transforming air travel. With the completion of key milestones and the imminent historic first flight, Boom Supersonic is one step closer to making supersonic travel mainstream, revolutionizing the aviation industry, and paving the way for sustainable and efficient air transportation with Overture.
Read more about the XB-1 Here: https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/boom-supersonic-advances-flight-preparations-for-xb-1
Connect with Boom Supersonic on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
SOURCE Boom Supersonic
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