United Launch Alliance (ULA) and BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems (acquired by Ball Aerospace) last month held the 16th annual Student Rocket Launch at Hudson Ranch in Pueblo, Colorado — three intern-built rockets –Galileo, Einstein and Kepler– stood 13 feet tall each and flew approximately 9,300 feet into the air.
The Student Rocket Launch provides ULA interns with the opportunity to experience a small-scale launch campaign and navigate the complexities of rocket design and development. Each rocket contained three to four different payloads (on-board experiments and instruments deployed after launch), built by either members of the BAE Systems Intern Remote Sensing Team (BIRST) program or K-12 students from across the nation.
The Student Rocket Launch is a comprehensive introduction to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) that provides hands-on experience for everyone involved, regardless of the scope of their role or educational background.
“Congratulations to the participants of the Student Rocket Launch, we are proud of the dedication and hard work that they put into this program to make it possible,” said Tory Bruno, president and CEO of ULA. “The skills and hands-on experiences that it provides to our ULA interns and mentors, BAE Systems interns and the K-12 teams is unmatched. The lessons learned during this program will a resource for their future careers.”
Click here for photos from this year’s event. Click here for more information regarding the program.