What is NASA Student Launch?
Student Launch is a research-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. It strives to provide relevant, cost-effective research and development of rocket propulsion systems. This project offers multiple challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.
The project includes many parts. Teams work with a team from NASA to build rockets, ranging from about 6 feet to 12 feet. These rockets fly about a mile into the sky, collecting a variety of data with their scientific payload. Throughout the year, teams design, simulate, build subscale models, fly the subscale models, build fullscale rockets, test individual subsystems, and then eventually launch the rocket in Huntsville, AL. Teams also submit four sets of documents to the NASA Panels, giving presentations with each one to update the panel on their progress and get approval to continue. Teams spend hours perfecting each aspect of their rocket in preparation for the final launch and achieve impressive results.Â
2023 Project
ASGARD II: An Aerobrake system that autonomously deploys three fins to dynamically challenge the drag of the rocket during the flight. This makes it so that the rocket can reach the predicted height more accurately.