UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A team of students representing Penn State will compete April 17 to 21 in Alabama at the NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI).
The USLI is an annual event that challenges teams of young engineers and scientists to design, test and build large, high-powered rockets, capable of flying to the target altitude of one mile. The rocket must also carry working, retrievable science or engineering payloads.
Thirty-six teams and universities, and 20 high schools from across the nation will be competing in the competition.
Students from Penn State proposed to participate in the competition during the fall semester and began building their designs once they were selected.
The designs must undergo a preliminary review from NASA along with flight readiness and safety reviews before they can be approved for launch.
Six students will represent Penn State: Heather Dawe, nuclear engineering, junior; Thomas Letarte, aerospace engineering, senior; Luke Young, aerospace engineering, sophomore; Joe Wieser, aerospace engineering, senior; Anthony Maurer, mechanical engineering, senior; and Vincent San Miguel, aerospace engineering, junior.
The event can be followed on a live feed at www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc as well as through the Twitter hashtag #1MileHigh or #SLP.
More information about the Penn State team can be found at www.liontechrockets.org/index.php.