TONEY, Alabama USA — Students from nine colleges and universities across the nation will raise thunder across the North Alabama sky April 19, sending aloft rockets of their own making for NASA's 2007-2008 University Student Launch Initiative.

Members of the media are invited to the launch site in Toney, Alabama, to meet with student rocketeers and watch the launches. The event is free and open to the public.

Participating student teams have spent the 2007-2008 school year developing, building and testing their own rockets, complete with working science payloads. They'll strive to fly their rockets to an altitude of 1 mile and retrieve the payloads intact. The annual competition, sponsored by ATK Launch Systems and managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, gives students practical experience — managing complex scientific research and conducting aerospace and engineering projects from drawing board to launch pad.

Who: Nine university rocket teams, including students from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.; the University of Alabama in Huntsville; Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas; Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla; the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks; Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt University in Nashville; Utah State University in Logan; and the College of Menominee Nation in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT, Saturday, April 19

Where: Bragg Farms, 1180 Grimwood Road, Toney, Alabama

To attend: Media interested in attending the rocket launch should contact Angela Storey in the Marshall Center's Public & Employee Communications office at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m. Friday, April 18.

04-17-2008 11:13 PM  #1
Just Jerry Freeform rockets advocate   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 570	Re: NASA’s USLI slated to take place on April 19th One mile, eh? Are they using AT M motors and Black Sky 6" rockets? Jerry

04-18-2008 08:24 AM  #2
Johnnie Certified Level II   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 136	Re: NASA’s USLI slated to take place on April 19th Wow, not often do I see an article on anyone of these forums about an even taking place in my community (Toney, AL) and only 5-miles from my own house... Looks like it will be a good day for flying...looks like I will miss the RSO event this evening, but will hope to make the launch as a helping hand tomorrow. Quote: One mile, eh? Are they using AT M motors and Black Sky 6" rockets? Jerry Jerry, Here is a list of what is on hand for tomorrow: School Motor Length Dia Pad Weight Payload experiment transmitter Alt delta inches inches lbs. frequency ft. mile Auburn L1482 108 6 own 36 load, temp and vibration Auburn, AL Missouri U Ces K530ss 78 4 need 10 RDAS Rolla, MO 8' s rail no drogue College of Menominee AWM L1300 84 7.6 own 27 IR camera Green Bay, WI Vanderbilt M2400T 166 10 own 80 UAV RC glider 2.4 Ghz Nashville, TN separate payload chute Fisk M1315W 152 7.6 own 27 fuel cell demo and atmospheric data Nashville, TN U North Dakota Aero K570 93 5.5 own 18 geiger counter voice recorder Grand Forks, ND UAH Aero L850w 110 6 own 33 acceleration, video, parasail 2.4 Ghz Huntsville, AL separate payload chute Utah State Cntrl L-800 102 5.5 own 36 active control airbrake system Logan, UT Harding Cntrl J234 98 3 need 14 motor plume spectra Searcy, AR 8' s rail chute tamer recovery Johnnie

04-18-2008 09:04 AM  #3
UncleVanya   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 1471	Re: NASA’s USLI slated to take place on April 19th Quote: Looks like it will be a good day for flying...looks like I will miss the RSO event this evening, but will hope to make the launch as a helping hand tomorrow. Doug Knight should be there with a team from North Carolina also. If you see him tell him that his buddies at ROCC in Charlotte NC are hoping the team has a good flight.

04-18-2008 11:56 PM  #4
dknight Certified Level 2   Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 12	Re: NASA’s USLI slated to take place on April 19th Brad, This is the University SLI program. The High School SLI program is next week. Julie and Al are very tired by the end of next week. Hopefully see you tomorrow at Midland. Doug

04-20-2008 11:40 PM  #5
UncleVanya   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 1471	Re: NASA’s USLI slated to take place on April 19th Quote: Brad, This is the University SLI program. The High School SLI program is next week. Julie and Al are very tired by the end of next week. Hopefully see you tomorrow at Midland. Doug Doh! Ok. So you will not be there until next week. whooops! Good luck to the team!

04-21-2008 04:48 PM  #6
Clark Tripoli L2   Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 15	Re: NASA’s USLI slated to take place on April 19th There will be an article submitted to RP sometime this week I guess, it's not by me so I can't say when RP will get it. The launch was the best USLI launch I've attended to date. And with it being held in Alabama instead of Manchester, TN this year some of the Huntsville TV stations actually came out and shot some footage. And of course I shot interviews with each team and footage of the launches as well and will be compiling a DVD of the weekend and converting videos for and posting to the Internet as the week goes on. The Highschool version of this launch will be this weekend and has more teams competing in it. I'll be attending it and shooting footage for it as well. HARA is handling the launch & RSO duties as well as support, guidance, and advice just like they do every year. They are definitely the grease that keeps the wheels going for this event.