LOGAN, Utah (ABC 4 News) - One week from Saturday, mechanical and aerospace engineering students at Utah State University will put all they have learned to the test. They will once again compete in the University Student Launch Initiative in Alabama. It’s a national competition, more than 20 prestigious schools such as Georgia Tech, The Florida Institute of Technology, Missouri State and Auburn will be competing against the Utah students. But, the USU students are the defending champions. They won grand prize last year.
The USU students have been hard at work on this year’s rocket since last fall. It’s a complex system of computer technology partnered with air brakes and parachutes. Tony Whitmore, USU mechanical and aerospace engineering professor, and director of the project. He says they build the rocket from the ground up. “This project if very broad based. We have to build an entire vehicle. That means structure systems, instrumentation, propulsion systems, so the students have to learn to work together as a team.” Whitmore also says it’s a unique opportunity for students to receive hands-on learning that could lead to jobs after graduation. “This project is on the level of sophistication of a lot of projects I actually worked on at NASA. These guys get the chance to do the real life tribulation of things don’t always work the way you think they do.” Whitmore worked for NASA for 28 years before signing on with Utah State University.
Students say it’s given them an opportunity to use what they have learned in a practical way. Shannon Eilers, a graduate student in the program says” being able to apply the stuff that you learn as an undergraduate and some graduate level courses, directly to something real, is really fun. It’s great to see the fruits of your education and labor.”
The students hope the fun continues in Alabama. They have successfully tested their model several times. Heather Williams, a senior at USU says she always watches launches with a certain amount of anxiety.” I always get nervous. It’s not quite butterflies, I can’t really describe what it is, it’s like oh my goodness, what happens if it doesn’t work?”
But so far they rockets have worked. Jessica Anderson, also a senior in the program says” When you get to see the rocket launch that we have spent hours, basically the entire school year working on, it’s really, really, cool.”
The competition is sponsored by ATK Launch Systems, as part of a NASA initiative. The final results will not be available until May.
