THE ROCKET NEWSLETTER
WINTER 2012
Design, Build, Fly (The University of Alabama)
BalloonSat (UAHuntsville) The UAHuntsville Space Hardware Club launched three successful BalloonSat missions throughout the year in 2011 from the UAHuntsville Campus. The latex, helium filled balloon, designed to carry lightweight experiments into near space, is coordinated by a team of university students. BalloonSat Flights 14, 15 and 16 were each designed to meet educational objectives such as design, launch, track and recover the balloon, and mission objectives such as deployment and operation of the balloon as well as photography and neutron radiation monitoring of the atmosphere. Additionally, UAHuntsville students coordinated an outreach project with a local middle school (Liberty) as 700 middle school aged students were divided into groups to participate in a hands-on effort in building the payload for the BalloonSat Flight 14. BalloonSat 15 focused on neutron radiation and BalloonSat 16 was successful in maintaining a radio range test. BalloonSat Flight 17 launched on January 28, 2012 to demonstrate Morse Code testing for satellite communications.
The University of Alabama students participated in the Cessna Aircraft Company/Raytheon Missile Systems, AIAA, Student Design/Build/Fly Competition in 2011. This year-long project consists of approximately a 12 student member team that must design, document, fabricate, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric powered, radio controlled aircraft that can best meet the specified mission profile, as well as submitting a written Design Report. ASGC is one of the sponsors of the Design/Build/Fly project from The University of Alabama that encourages student innovation and offers STEM opportunities. The 2012 UA team, "High Tide", is making preparations for this year’s 16th annual international competition to be held in Wichita, KS on April 12-15, 2012.
For more information: (space.uah.edu).
For more information: (www.aiaadbf.org)
NASA's Great Moonbuggy Race (AAMU, UAHuntsville & Bevill State Community College) ASGC supported two university teams (Alabama A&M and UAHuntsville) and one community college (Bevill State) team in the 18th annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race that took place on April 2-3, 2011 at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The team from UAHuntsville won second place in the college division. This NASA competition challenges students around the world to build and race lightweight, human-powered buggies -- demonstrating the same innovation and can-do spirit that put the first Apollo-era lunar rover on the moon four decades ago. The 19th Annual great Moonbuggy Race is scheduled for April 13-14, 2012 in Huntsville, AL at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Anyone can come out and show their support! 6
For more information: (http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/).