Contending in the NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) competition this week in Huntsville, Alabama was USU’s very own Chimaera rocket team. After almost a year’s work of designing, building, and testing their rocket (Pike), they were finally able to see it in action. The Pike launched on Saturday, April 18th along with 33 other opposing teams.
Although the overall winner of the USLI competition will not be announced until May 25, 2009, we are proud to report the rocket team’s successes thus far. Team Chimaera was awarded “Best Vehicle Design” as well as “Best Overall Documentation and Presentation” for their innovative rocket designs providing maximized safety and efficiency along with their outstanding efforts in writing and presenting over 400 pages of text. “We did well,” says project supervisor Dr. Stephen Whitmore, “With a good final report, I still feel we can win the whole enchilada.”
Nick Mckee, team member, described the contest saying, “The basic guidelines are to design and build a rocket that can deliver a scientific payload to an altitude of one mile, document the whole process, and promote math and science to youth… not only did we build a rocket, but we built the skills that each of us will utilize for the rest of our lives as mechanical and aerospace engineers… It has been the most difficult yet rewarding projects we, as engineers, have thus worked on, and we wouldn’t have given it up for anything.”
For more information about USLI or Team Chimaera please visit these websites: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/University_Student_Launch_Initiative.html
