HUNTSVILLE, AL (January 27, 2009) -- Twenty student teams selected by NASA from colleges and universities around the country are spending the winter building sophisticated rockets they will launch high over Alabama during NASA's 2008-2009 University Student Launch Initiative in April.
Each student team will design, build and field-test one rocket, earning practical experience in the development and execution of a complex engineering project from design to launch. They must develop a vehicle that can fly to an altitude of 1 mile and sustain an onboard science experiment that gathers measurable data.
In addition to developing and testing their rockets, teams develop a project Web site and deliver preliminary and post-launch reports to their NASA counterparts for review. Teams also conduct related projects for schools or youth organizations in their area, helping to spread interest in engineering and rocketry to upcoming generations of students.
The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington sponsors the University Student Launch Initiative.
For complete listing of participants and more information, visit: http://education.msfc.nasa.gov/usli
For more information about NASA's next-generation spacecraft to send astronauts to the International Space Station, the moon and destinations beyond, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
- Tampa Bay Informer
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