Four Wichita State University aerospace engineering students have placed seventh in NASA’s Student Launch Initiative (SLI) competition. The team designed, built and launched a rocket to complete a simulated Moon mission.

Entering and competing the SLI program is incredibly competitive. Universities across the United States propose designs to meet strict altitude and payload requirements. NASA vets all of the designs and eliminates all but the best.

The WSU team’s 37-pound, 10-foot tall rocket is reusable and includes an active drag system for altitude control. Additionally, the rocket carries an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that autonomously orients itself for takeoff and delivers a simulated navigation beacon to a designated location.

Everything worked as the team planned at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the site of the competition. Scott Miller, the professor sponsoring the team, was happy with the results.

“These students clearly maximized learning and achievement,” said Miller. “It is amazing what a small group of motivated, intelligent, and hardworking people can do. We are so proud of them!”

Although Vanderbilt University took first place in the competition, WSU’s spot among the top 10 universities is a significant achievement. Students Bryan Cline, Skylar Dean, Jonathan Bowerman and Mike Foster accomplished as much as teams with over 20 students.

The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. Wichita State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master's and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. Wichita State's Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state.