Rockets Return to North Alabama for NASA's 2023 Student Launch

	April 10, 2023  MEDIA ADVISORY 23-004 Rockets Return to North Alabama for NASA's 2023 Student Launch Media and the public are invited to attend NASA’s 2023 Student Launch rocketry competition on April 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT (or until the last rocket launches) at Bragg Farms, in Toney, Alabama, minutes north of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.     Nearly 800 students from universities, high schools, and middle schools will launch high-powered amateur rockets and scientific payloads to an altitude between 3,500 and 6,000 feet, before safely parachuting back to Earth.  sl_2016.jpg A student-built rocket soars during NASA’s Student Launch Challenge, held near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Credits: NASA NASA’s annual rocket competition will host more than 50 teams from 21 states and Puerto Rico, with more than 40 teams expected to launch in-person. For 2023, NASA is not requiring teams travel to Alabama, instead providing an alternative launch-from-home option. NASA’s streaming coverage will begin at 9 a.m. CDT on NASA’s Marshall YouTube page and NASA’s Student Launch Facebook page. NASA will also welcome the return of the Rocket Fair event Friday, April 14, 3-6 p.m. in downtown Huntsville. The Rocket Fair is a popular showcase allowing students to display their rockets while answering questions from the news media, NASA engineers, and members of the public.  sl_photo_14.jpg Students from Krueger Middle School in San Antonio, Texas, explain their rocket and payload to the public during NASA’s 2019 Student Launch event. Credits: NASA Schedule of Events:  Rocket Fair: Friday, April 14, 3-6 p.m. CDT, at Von Braun Center East Hall. This event is free and open to the media, public and children.    Launch Day: Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. CDT, (or until last rocket launches) at Bragg Farms, in Toney, Alabama. The event is free and open to the media, public and children. Please review NASA’s guest policy prior to attending for a list of prohibited items.    Rain Date: Sunday, April 16 is a tentative rain day in case of inclement weather. Launches will occur 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or until last rocket launches) at Bragg Farms.  NASA will announce the winning teams Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 1 p.m. CDT during a virtual awards ceremony after all teams’ flight data has been verified. Media interested in covering these events should contact Christopher Blair at 256-544-0034 or at christopher.e.blair@xxxxxxxx no later than Thursday, April 13 at 3 p.m. About the Competition  Student Launch is an eight-month-long design challenge providing relevant, cost-effective research and development of rocket propulsion systems. The annual competition is a part of the agency’s Artemis Student Challenges - a variety of activities providing students access to the knowledge and technology required to achieve the goals of the Artemis Program. Marshall hosts the Student Launch challenge with management support provided by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement - Southeast Region. Funding is provided, in part, by NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate and NASA’s Next Gen STEM project. For more information about Student Launch, please visit: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/studentlaunch/home/index.html
	Press Contacts Christopher Blair  NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama  256-544-0034  christopher.e.blair@xxxxxxxx
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