Neel Mehta
The United Launch Alliance and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Student Rocket Launch event featured sport rockets and payloads built by students and interns as part of efforts to promote science, technology, engineering and math careers.
ULA said Saturday interns at the two companies and K-12 students from Colorado worked with mentors to design, build and test the rockets and payloads in order to simulate real-world launch campaigns.
“The Student Rocket Launch encourages innovation and provides a framework for [students] to take their ideas from the drawing board to the launch pad,” said Matt Smith, vice president of engineering at ULA.
The event showcased the Future, Stars ‘N’ Stripes and Genesis high-power sport rockets from 60 ULA interns, four payloads from 30 Ball Aerospace interns and 13 more payloads from 13 K-12 student teams.
Rockets from the Southern Colorado Rocketeers, Colorado Springs Rocket Society and Northern Colorado Rocketry Club also launched at the event.
