USU Rocket Team Brings Home Prizes

NASA thinks the future of rocket science looks bright after 32 student-built rockets launched into the sky over Alabama recently as part of NASA’s University Student Launch Initiative and Student Launch Initiative, both sponsored by ATK.

And the future looks even brighter for Utah State University students who came back with two first place awards and optimism about their chances to take home the overall prize, which will be announced later in May.

 

USU students took first place for “Best Vehicle Design,” awarded to the team with the most creative and innovative overall vehicle design while still maximizing safety and efficiency. The USU team also placed first in “Project Review” (also called the Best Overall Documentation and Presentation Award), awarded to the team viewed to have the best combination of written reviews and formal presentations.

 

“The team’s rocket did exceptionally well,” said team member Nick McKee. “We also did exceptionally well at many of the other areas in the competition, including the outreach efforts. We sought out and taught more than 500 youths in the northern Utah area and promoted math and science in various programs both in communities and at many elementary and high schools.”

 

McKee said the team is confident about the competition for the grand prize — overall winner of the competition — which will be announced May 25 and which includes a prize of $5,000 and an invitation to see the space shuttle launch in Florida in fall 2009.

 

USU students designed, built and tested their rocket over the course of the year, beginning early in summer 2008, and McKee said the team is still finishing some details of the project.

 

“It has been the most difficult yet rewarding project we as engineers have worked on, and we wouldn't have given it up for anything,” he said. “The team really feels that not only did we build a rocket, but we built the skills each of us will use for the rest of our lives as mechanical and aerospace engineers.”

 

The team consists of 25 students (20 undergraduate, five graduate) and is led by USU graduate student Shannon Eilers and faculty advisor Stephen Whitmore.

 

McKee said it is important that the team give public thanks to all the sponsors that supported the team financially and with other help, including the College of Engineering, ATK, Space Dynamics Lab, the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department, Rocky Mountain Space Grant, Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronauts and ASUSU.

 

The competition was sponsored by ATK Space Systems. The basic competition guidelines are to design and build a rocket that can deliver a scientific payload to an altitude of one mile, document the whole process and promote math and science to youths.

 

“It was amazing to see the level of talent that participated in the competition,” said Jim Halsell, ATK Space Systems vice president, Space Exploration Systems and former NASA astronaut. “If these students pursue careers in engineering and science, America will have a tremendous future in space exploration as we return to the Moon and journey out into the far reaches of the solar system.”

 

Following the competition, NASA and ATK presented the initial awards at a banquet held in April where more than 400 students and mentors were present. The final overall awards will be presented next month.

 

 This is the third year of ATK’s involvement in the USLI event.

 

The final two ULSI awards, Rookie Team of the Year and Best Overall Team of the Year, will be presented in May once all teams have submitted their post-launch and science payload reports for review.

 

The teams that competed in USLI 2009 event are: Alabama A&M University in Huntsville; Arizona State University in Tempe; Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.; College of Menominee Nation in Green Bay, Wis.; Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.; Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne; Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta; Iowa State University in Ames; Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro; Mississippi State University in Starkville; Mitchell Community College in Statesville, N.C.; Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala.; the University of Alabama in Huntsville; Harding University in Searcy, Ark.; Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla; the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks; Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.; Utah State University in Logan; and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

 

USU team members are: Jessica Anderson, Amy Jo Bowdidge, Jacob Brown, Jed Butler, Justin Christensen, Shaun Copeland, Yutaka Fujiwara, Luke Hanks, Kyle Jeppson, Marc Loertscher, Paul Lyon, Bowen Masco, Nicholus McKee, Bryce Nash, Zach Peterson, Mike Philips, Shane Robinson, Stanford Rosen, Peter Santerre, Aaron Shields, Justin Teuscher, Michael Tolman, Heather Williams, Matthew Wilson, Alex Wouden, Cordell Wright and Shannon Eilers.