Largest Ever Sport Rocket Launch Deploys Student Experiments

Built by interns of the ULA, the Future Heavy rocket inspires STEM students.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of engineering-minded students think rockets are pretty cool.

Seeing their own experiments and contributions being deployed by the world’s largest sport rocket might just be the push needed to pursue their deep interest in STEM fields, and a future in science and engineering.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) along with Ball Aerospace and the Space Foundation recently launched the world’s largest sport rocket, the Future Heavy. Standing at 50 feet, the rocket weighed in at 1,200 pounds and generated 6,600 pounds of thrust at launch.

The rocket was among many launched at the end of July, and was filled with experiments from ULA and Ball interns, as well as Colorado elementary and high school students.

“This program provides Ball and ULA interns a collaborative, real-world aerospace industry experience from concept to launch in just a few short weeks,” said Rob Strain, president of Ball Aerospace.

“This launch is the culmination of efforts, from our high caliber interns and employee mentors to the K-12 teams with sponsorship from the Space Foundation—it really demonstrates that Colorado is an exciting place for aerospace today and for future generations,” Strain added.

Interns from Ball designed, built and tested the largest payloads on the rocket, which had applications including UAV search and rescue missions, deploying an off road vehicle and an LED lightshow.

Fifteen student teams designed the payloads that were launched on the Future Heavy rocket, including a kindergarten experiment on solar physics and an approximation of the Mars Curiosity Rover’s entry, descent and landing equipment.

The Future Heavy Rocket launches from Fort Carson Army Post, Colorado. (Image courtesy of United Launch Alliance.)

The Future Heavy Rocket launches from Fort Carson Army Post, Colorado. 

(Image courtesy of United Launch Alliance.)

The ULA, a joint venture by Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company, has been providing space launch services for the U.S. government since 2006.

Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO, sees the benefit of getting younger students interested in the aerospace industry. He noted, “It is an exciting time to be in the space industry, and United Launch Alliance continuously works to excite the next generation of rocket scientists, astronauts, space entrepreneurs and enthusiasts.”

“The Student Rocket Launch offers students from kindergarten through graduate school a hands-on opportunity to design, test and ultimately launch their creations – a simulation of the multi-year missions ULA works with our customers,” Bruno added.

The launch was also broadcast online in a team-up with the Kerbal Space Program video game. The popular computer game centers around designing, building and launching spacecraft, often with spectacular results for both successes, and failures.

Visit the ULA Education website for more information or to submit a payload suggestion of your own for next year’s launch.