Help CyLaunch

CyLaunch's First Full-Scale LaunchWho We Are

CyLaunch is the Iowa State competition team for NASA Student Launch. NASA Student Launch is a year-long competition where teams design and build a rocket to fly in Huntsville, Alabama, to compete against universities around the country. This project serves as a great way for students to gain knowledge in rocketry and valuable teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. CyLaunch is a part of a class at Iowa State University called Make to Innovate (M2I) which is a hands-on, project-based course that allows students to work in a team to solve an engineering-based problem. This year, CyLaunch’s goal is to build and launch a fully 3D-printed rocket to innovate in high-powered rocketry by pushing the limits of 3D printing in a high-stress environment. The team will also be creating a quadcopter that will deploy 400 feet above the ground and safely bring a group of 4 STEMnauts to the ground. Our team’s objective for this year is to compete in the NASA Student Launch Competition and to launch our rocket at the competition site in Huntsville, Alabama. 

CyLaunch 2023-2024 Team Picture

 

CyLaunch 2023-2024 Leads Picture

Competition Details

 NASA Student Launch is a yearly competition that university rocketry teams compete in from around the nation. With the competition, a handbook is released in August every year highlighting that year’s challenge and all the requirements the team needs to follow to make a successful design. The challenge includes tasks such as performing an onboard experiment, autonomous flight and recovery, achieving a target apogee during flight, and a safe and successful recovery of the launch vehicle.  

CyLaunch in Huntsville, Alabama Last Year for the NASA Student Launch Competition

 

This Year's Competition

This year, CyLaunch has been building a rocket that will complete a mission to 5000 feet in altitude utilizing an airbrake system. This rocket will contain a quadcopter that was built to complete the payload mission this year to safely deploy and land a payload on the ground carrying 4 STEMnauts. The rocket will utilize two parachutes through dual deployment to slow its descent to the ground. Upon landing, the rocket must be recovered in a reusable condition. Along with building the rocket, the team will be submitting 3 different design reviews to NASA to give updates on the design and explain all the design decisions the team made. All these milestones will be completed before the competition date of April 13th. 

Full-Scale Rocket During Flight

 

Payload Team With This Year's Payload

 

Help CyLaunch

CyLaunch needs your help. The logistics and travel to the competition in Huntsville, Alabama, require a lot funding so that the majority of the team can attend. With the help of donations, students from our team will be able to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience and represent Iowa State University at the NASA Student Launch Competition. Attending this competition has been a huge source of motivation for our team and is a very valuable experience.