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
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