Hybrid rocket test at Indian university + 15th NASA Student Launch Competition

A couple of university rocket items:

** Aerospace Engineering Department Research – Sounding Rocket Systems – Rajesh Muneshwar,  head of Aerospace Engineering Department at the International School of Professional Studies in India tells me his student group has built and test fired their first hybrid rocket motor. This is the first non-government Indian hybrid as well. It is a prototype for a motor that will power the upper stage of their planned 45 km Gyan darshan Rocket.

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See a video of a test. (I worry about the student being a little too close to the test…)

** NASA Hosts Student Rocket Fair, Helps Students Launch High-Power Rockets

vandy_team_[2]University students prepare their rocket for launch at NASA’s
2012-2013 Student Launch challenge near NASA’s Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. 
Image Credit: NASA/MSFC/Fred Deaton

 More than 30 high school, college and university teams will launch student-built rockets during the 15th annual NASA Student Launch event April 10-11 near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Middle school and high school teams will launch their rockets to an altitude of one mile, deploy onboard science experiments and land safely using a system of recovery parachutes. University and college teams will participate in either the Mini-Mars Ascent Vehicle (Mini-MAV) or the Maxi-Mars Ascent Vehicle (Maxi-MAV) divisions. Mini-MAV teams must use a robotic system to autonomously load a payload into their rocket, launch to half a mile and eject the payload during descent. Maxi-MAV teams, competing for a share of $50,000 in prize money, will attempt to meet more autonomy requirements before also launching to a half mile.

All launches will take place at Bragg Farms in Toney, Alabama. Maxi-MAV launches begin at 10 a.m. CDT and will run until approximately 5 p.m. on April 10. Mini MAV and middle and high school launches begin at 7:30 a.m. and run until completed April 11. In the event of rain, the event will move to April 12.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 9, students will participate in a Rocket Fair at Marshall’s Activities Building 4316, where they will give technical presentations to, and get valuable feedback from, engineers and team members from NASA and Student Launch corporate sponsor Orbital ATK.

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Student Launch is open to public viewing and will be aired live on NASA Television and Marshall’s Ustream and Twitter accounts, at:

For more information on Student Launch, visit: www.nasa.gov/education/studentlaunch

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