For the first time, Ram Launch Initiative is one of 49 university teams, and one of the first Colorado university teams, to participate in NASA’s Student Launch Challenge. The competition puts students’ engineering skills to the test, requiring them to construct and launch a high-powered rocket.

The mechanical engineering senior design team will have nine months to raise funds, design, and create a rocket to take to competition this April in Huntsville, Alabama. Each year the competition is modeled after real NASA missions. This year’s competition will pull inspiration from Artemis.

“Taking part in this competition is a big deal to the members of our team and CSU. We’re looking forward to creating a legacy for the rocket team here,” said Lucie Meeker-Gordon, the team’s student program manager. “We’re a driven group with a strong desire to succeed. We are eager to apply our educational knowledge to this real-world scenario.”

The rocket must carry a payload, or a detachable craft that carries four model “astronauts.” This payload must be released from the rocket in midair and return to the ground unscathed without the use of a parachute, so that it can be used for subsequent launches.

As part of its participation in the competition, Ram Launch Initiative will host community science and engineering events for local middle- and high-school students. Most recently, they led students through hands-on rocket activities on the CSU campus.

You can follow along with the team’s progress by following their Instagram account, @csu_usli, or visiting their website.