By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
After nearly a decade of setbacks and near-misses, the 哔咔漫画鈥檚 student rocket team successfully completed NASA鈥檚 prestigious Student Launch Competition. Competing against dozens of teams from across the country, USF鈥檚 Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry team sent their model rocket up more than 4,000 feet while transmitting data 鈥� proving that if it were a real space mission, an astronaut would have survived.
鈥淚t took a team of students with different specialties -- mechanical engineers, computer engineers, computer scientists, electrical engineers and chemical engineers,鈥� said Alvaro Aguilar, the team captain who earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer engineering in the spring and is now pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in the same field. 鈥淲e needed absolutely every single one of them.鈥�
It was the first time in at least eight years that a USF team completed all the tasks that are part of the nine-month challenge, Aguilar said.
USF鈥檚 Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry team that completed NASA鈥檚 Student Launch Competition [Photo courtesy of Alvaro Aguilar]
The team received an award for excellence in rocket design and engineering payload and is waiting for NASA to announce additional awards this month. Their rocket stood out for successfully relaying data using Morse code.
Their 8-foot tall, 6-inch diameter rocket, Prometheus, was also named Innovative Project of the Year by the USF Engineering Council.
鈥淭he award says it is for the 哔咔漫画,鈥� Aguilar said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to have successfully represented the university.鈥�
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the NASA Student Launch Competition tasks middle, high school and college students with building rockets and payloads for simulated space missions.
The 8-foot tall, 6-inch diameter rocket, Prometheus, successfully launches [Photo courtesy of Alvaro Aguilar]
Mirroring Artemis missions to further explore the moon, participating rockets had to launch 4,000-6,000 feet during a final group launch at Bragg Farms in Toney, Alabama, which is near NASA鈥檚 Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
If a team could not travel there, they could find another contest-approved site.
Competitors needed to record metrics such as temperature and G-force to prove that the mission would have been safe for human spaceflight if the rocket was real.
The rocket then had to safely return to earth and successfully relay that data back to mission control.
To qualify for that final launch, teams had to complete a nine-month process simulating what NASA engineers experience when designing a rocket. That includes having NASA review and approve the designs at multiple stages and meet necessary benchmarks throughout several successful test flights.
鈥淣ASA Student Launch has been at the forefront of experiential education, providing students from middle school through university with unparalleled opportunities to engage in real-world engineering and scientific research,鈥� said John Eckhart, technical coordinator for student launch at the Marshall Space Flight Center. 鈥淭he program鈥檚 core mission 鈥� to inspire and cultivate the next generation of aerospace professionals and space explorers 鈥� has not only been met but exceeded in ways we could have only dreamed of.鈥�
During the reviews, teams meet virtually with NASA engineers to learn why they are or are not moving on.
NASA has not publicly disclosed the total number of teams that initially applied or submitted proposals for the challenge. But only 71 teams received approval for the final launch. Of those, 53 competed in the collegiate division.
In Aguilar鈥檚 previous years with the team, they were dropped early from competition when the rocket did not perform all required duties during test flights.
So, what was different this year?
鈥淚 think we put together the right team of individuals who complemented each other鈥檚 talents perfectly,鈥� Aguilar said. 鈥淲e poured our hearts and souls into the project to make it work.鈥�
The USF team leaders. Cesar Briones, aerostructure; Alvaro Aguilar, captain; Chiara DeAngelis, electronics; Lucas Folio, safety; Adam Raynard, the payload; Pavan Moturi, telemetry; and Kyle Shum, vehicle maintenance. Not pictured is Spencer Fritz, vehicle electrical [Photo courtesy of Alvaro Aguilar]
鈥淥ur leaders were strong,鈥� Aguilar said. 鈥淭here was no failure of management despite many sleepless nights and countless hours of work.鈥�
The final launch was held last month, with the USF rocket taking off last.
That only added to the pressure.
鈥淲e watched as some exploded on the launchpad,鈥� Aguilar said, 鈥渁nd others did nothing.鈥�
Prometheus launched without issue, soared past 4,000 feet, deployed its parachute and landed safely.
The USF team shows off their rocket [Photo courtesy of Alvaro Aguilar]
鈥淎ll that was missing was data being sent,鈥� Aguilar said. 鈥淥ne minute passes, then five, then eight 鈥� nothing. We were about to tell NASA we got nothing. We thought we hadn鈥檛 completed the mission. Then, a crackle came through.鈥�
Their data was being transmitted via Morse code.
They鈥檇 done it.
What made the accomplishment even more meaningful, Aguilar said, was that USF doesn鈥檛 yet have an aerospace engineering program; the first cohort begins in the fall.
鈥淭his shows the remarkable talent thriving here,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to represent the university 鈥� and proud we could make it proud.鈥�