Ann Marie Trotta
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1601
ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov
Angela Storey
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
angela.d.storey@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 13-147
VANDERBILT TAKES TOP PRIZE IN NASA STUDENT LAUNCH CHALLENGE
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The Aerospace Club of Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tenn., took first prize in the 2013 annual NASA Student
Launch Projects challenge, in which student teams design, build and
fly small rockets with science payloads to an altitude of 1 mile and
return them safely to Earth.
After two consecutive third-place finishes, Vanderbilt beat 35 other
colleges and universities to win the $5,000 top prize, provided by
ATK Aerospace Group of Promontory, Utah. The University of Louisville
in Kentucky and Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, won
second and third place, respectively, in the April 21 "launch fest"
at Bragg Farms in Toney, Ala., near NASA's Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville.
After months of preparation, each team had an opportunity to launch
its rocket and payload. NASA judges evaluated the rocket designs
based on a series of technical design reviews, the results from the
rocket's flight including altitude, and the operation of the payload.
The judges also evaluated each team's written report and its outreach
activities including a website documenting the experience and local
educational engagement campaigns to share their enthusiasm for
rocketry. The challenge seeks to inspire younger students to pursue
technical learning fields, including science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM).
"This program is a valuable tool for students and their teachers
because they use all the knowledge gained in a classroom setting to
tackle a real-world challenge," said Tammy Rowan, manager of
Marshall's Academic Affairs Office, which manages the rocketry
challenge. "They stretch those STEM skills to create a complex
machine, which could lead them to a future in the aerospace industry.
Plus, their enthusiasm when they finally see their creations fly is
inspirational to those who already work in the many different aspects
of space exploration."
In addition to the top prize, the Vanderbilt University team also took
home the Best Payload Design for the most creative and innovative
payload experiment.
Third-place Tarleton State also won three additional recognitions: the
Rookie Award; the Science Mission Directorate Payload Award for most
creative and innovative payload design while maximizing safety and
science value; and the Best Team Spirit prize, a peer award voted on
by all the rocket teams.
Alabama A&M University in Huntsville won the Altitude Award for coming
closest to the 1-mile mark without going over -- only 11 feet shy of
5,280 feet above ground.
The University of Louisville team won three awards: Best Vehicle
Design for the most creative, innovative and safety-conscious rocket;
Best Web Design; and the Education Engagement Award. The team from
Mississippi State University in Starkville won the Project Review
Award for their reviews and formal presentations and also finished in
fifth place overall. The student teams voted the University of
Nebraska in Lincoln as winner of this year's Best-Looking Rocket.
NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, Science
Mission Directorate and Office of Education, all in Washington,
sponsor the Student Launch Projects challenge. ATK provides corporate
sponsorship. The National Association of Rocketry provides technical
review and launch support.
Hundreds of flight enthusiasts cheered the student rocketeers at the
launch site. More than 8,000 individual viewers also watched the
event live on Marshall's UStream channel. Archived launch-day
coverage is available at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc For complete lists of participating students, visit:
http://education.msfc.nasa.gov/slp Visit NASA Student Launch Projects on Facebook and Twitter:
http://www.facebook.com/NASAStudentLaunch and
http://twitter.com/SLI_1MILEHIGH For more information about NASA education projects, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education
