UMN Rocket Team defends title, wins 30,000-ft category at 2024 Spaceport America Cup
This is the team’s fourth win out of the past five years
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/27/2024) — The student-run University of Minnesota Rocket Team launched their rocket nearly 30,000 feet to take first place in one of the most challenging categories at the 2024 Spaceport America Cup. More than 150 teams from countries around the world competed in the world’s largest intercollegiate rocketry competition in New Mexico in June.
This is the second year in a row that the team has won in this challenging category, and the fourth win out of the past five years.
In addition to winning the 30,000-foot Student Researched and Developed (SRAD) Solid category, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities students were also named a finalist for the Dr. Gil Moore Award for Innovation for their recovery harness design.
“So many individuals from our team, from so many different majors and backgrounds, have put countless hours into making this project a success this year,” said Gaven House, an aerospace engineering student and the Rocket Team’s president. “We could not have possibly asked for a better year, a better competition, or better results”
The Rocket Team includes students from across the University's College of Science and Engineering who gain hands-on engineering experience designing, building, testing, and flying high-powered rockets. The team has had many successes in recent years, including winning the Genesis Cup Trophy–first place overall–at the 2021 Spaceport America Cup.
Read more about the students’ projects on the University of Minnesota Rocket Team website.
The University of Minnesota Rocket Team’s success is supported by donations. If you’d like to give, visit the Rocket Team’s Giving website.