Student Launch challenges student teams to design, build and fly a high-powered rocket containing a science or engineering payload. Teams complete a series of design reviews that mirror the NASA engineering design life cycle. Teams must successfully complete a Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, Flight Readiness Review and Launch Readiness Review, which include safety briefings, analyses of vehicle and payload systems and flight test data.
*Event Date(s):
Request for Proposal released: Aug. 18
Proposal deadline: Sept. 20
Selections Announced: Oct. 5
Preliminary Design Reviews: Nov. 2021
Critical Design Reviews: Jan. 2022
Flight Readiness Reviews: Mar. 2022
Event Week: Apr. 20-24, 2022
Winners Announced: May/June 2022
*Subject to Change
Event Location
Two options in 2021-2022 — NASA Launch Complex (with NASA in Huntsville, Alabama) or a commercial spaceport launch site (i.e. a local launch field).
Eligibility:
- Open to teams from U.S. colleges and universities, high schools and middle schools. Note: High school and middle school teams must first qualify by placing in the top 25 of The American Rocketry Challenge or the top 3 of the Rockets For Schools Class II competition. A high school and middle school educator or mentor from each qualified team must participate in the summer Advanced Rocketry Workshop.
- Open to U.S. citizens and international students. *Any foreign national team members must be identified by the PDR and may or may not have access to certain activities during launch week due to security restrictions.
- Requires an adult mentor as a team member throughout the project.
Visit the website to learn more about the challenge.
