After a day of rocket launches during the 2017 Student Launch challenge at Bragg Farms in Toney, NASA recently announced the preliminary winners at an awards ceremony.

The ceremony was hosted by Orbital ATK Aerospace Group of Promontory, Utah, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. Fifty middle and high school, college and university teams from 23 states launched their student-built rockets as part of the challenge.

The overall winners will be announced in early May, as the final calculations are still under review for accuracy. This will include the first- through third-place teams, as well as the rookie award winner, with the first-place winner receiving a $5,000 prize from sponsor Orbital ATK and the second-place winner receiving a $2,500 prize from the National Space Club.

About the event

Student teams demonstrated advanced aerospace and engineering skills as they launched their rockets to an altitude of 1 mile, deployed an automated parachute system and landed the rocket safely for reuse.

The event was the culmination of eight months of work for students, during which the teams built and tested their rockets and completed a series of technical reviews mirroring criteria in NASA’s engineering design lifecycle and safety protocol.

Now in its 17th year, Student Launch included a visit from NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, a member of the International Space Station’s Expedition 48/49 crew; a behind-the-scenes tour of Marshall facilities; and a rocket fair, where students showcased their rocket designs to NASA team members, corporate sponsor Orbital ATK and the public.

Preliminary winners

• Best Vehicle Design Award: University of Louisville, Kentucky

• Safety Award: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

• Project Review Award: Cornell University

• Education Engagement Award: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

• Altitude Award (College Division): University of Notre Dame (5,286 feet)

• Altitude Award (Middle/High School Division): Krueger Middle School, San Antonio, Texas (5,325 feet)

• Payload Design Award: Vanderbilt University

• Best Website Award (College Division): Auburn University, Alabama

• Best Website Award (Middle/High School Division): American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Orange County, Irvine, California

• Rocket Fair Display Award (College Division): Vanderbilt University

• Rocket Fair Display Award (Middle/High School Division): McKinney High School, Texas

• Best Looking Rocket Award (College Division): Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

• Best Looking Rocket Award (Middle/High School Division): Engineering and Technologies Academy at Roosevelt School, San Antonio, Texas

• Team Spirit Award (College Division): U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

• Team Spirit (Middle/High School Division): Engineering and Technologies Academy at Roosevelt School

• Judges’ Choice Award: Northern Illinois Home School Association, Montgomery, Illinois