NASA Announces Winners of 2018 Student Launch Competition

	May 11, 2018  RELEASE 18-022 NASA Announces Winners of 2018 Student Launch Competition   The team from Vanderbilt University of Nashville, Tennessee, claims top honors in the 2018 Student Launch competition. The 2018 win makes it the team’s fourth overall win in the past five years. Credits: NASA/MSFC/Fred Deaton The results of NASA’s 2018 Student Launch competition are tabulated, and the Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Lab team from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, claims top honors, which includes a check for $5,000 from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center industry partner Orbital ATK’s Propulsion Systems Division of Promontory, Utah. Vanderbilt’s first-place finish is the team’s fourth win in the last five years.   The rocket named PLAID -- Precision Launch and Autonomous Identification -- flown by rookie team Carnegie Mellon Rocket Command from Carnegie Mellon University of Pittsburgh, won the altitude award and ninth place overall. Credits: NASA/MSFC Student Launch is an annual competition that challenges competing student teams to propose, design, build and test a reusable rocket that flies to 1 mile in altitude, deploys a recovery system and returns safely to the ground, while carrying a payload of scientific or engineering value. The top 10 in the 2018 competition are: 1. Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Lab, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 2. 49er Rocketry Team, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 3. River City Rocketry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 4. Long Beach Rocketry, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, California 5. Cornell Rocketry Team, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 6. Oregon State Rocketry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 7. Cal Poly Pomona Rocketry, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, California 8. Bison Ballistics, Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee 9. Carnegie Mellon Rocket Command, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh 10. Notre Dame Rocket Team, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana   Oregon State University Rocketry of Corvallis, Oregon, finishes sixth overall and claims Rookie Award honors. Credits: NASA/MSFC UNC-Charlotte’s second place finish earns them $2,500 from the National Space Club – Huntsville. The teams compete in 10 categories ranging from payload design to educational engagement. A full run-down of this year’s category winners can be found here. “As NASA builds its next deep-space exploration rocket, the Space Launch System, it is important to inspire and help grow the next generation of engineers and explorers. Student Launch provides an opportunity for students to conduct research while also gaining invaluable workforce training,” said Katie Wallace, Student Launch manager. “It’s exciting to see the teams’ ideas and originality during the competition.” Completing its 18th year of competition, Student Launch creates a realistic experience over an eight-month period for middle school, high school and college and university students that simulates the proposal, design, review, test and operational lifecycle of an engineering system. Marshall's Academic Affairs Office manages Student Launch to further NASA’s major education goal of attracting and encouraging students to pursue degrees and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM. NASA’s Office of Education and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, as well as Orbital ATK’s Propulsion Systems Division, and the Huntsville chapter of the National Space Club provide funding and leadership for the initiative. Images from the week of activities are available on Marshall’s Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshallphotos/albums/72157667664273118 Archived launch-day footage is available on NASA’s Student Launch Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/NASAStudentLaunch/
	Press Contacts Angela Storey Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 256-544-0034 angela.storey@xxxxxxxx
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