{"id":18005,"date":"2019-06-24T17:02:10","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T09:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/rocketeers-from-university-of-washington-take-the-prize-at-spaceport-america-cup\/"},"modified":"2019-06-24T17:02:10","modified_gmt":"2019-06-24T09:02:10","slug":"rocketeers-from-university-of-washington-take-the-prize-at-spaceport-america-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/rocketeers-from-university-of-washington-take-the-prize-at-spaceport-america-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocketeers from University of Washington take the prize at Spaceport America Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Teammates from the University of Washington\u2019s Society for Advanced Rocket Propulsion carry hardware during the Spaceport America Cup competition in New Mexico. (UW-SARP via Facebook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If at first you don\u2019t succeed \u2026 try, try, try again. That\u2019s the formula that the University of Washington\u2019s Society for Advanced Rocket Propulsion followed to win the top prize at this year\u2019s Spaceport America Cup competition, held over the weekend in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

The SARP team took the Judge\u2019s Choice and Overall Winner Award at the world\u2019s largest collegiate rocket engineering contest, which is run by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association and drew 120 teams from 14 countries. Each team is required to design, build and fly a rocket that can reach 10,000 feet or 30,000 feet, depending on the contest category.<\/p>\n

SARP\u2019s chief engineer, Jess Grant, said this year\u2019s win comes after a string of three disappointments.<\/p>\n

In 2016, UW\u2019s team experienced a failure during a test flight in May, and couldn\u2019t launch its hybrid rocket during what was then known as the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition.<\/p>\n

At the first Spaceport America Cup in 2017, the team\u2019s rocket experienced an anomaly that resulted in the rocket being lost for nearly a year. Nevertheless, \u201cour design and performance impressed judges enough to receive the second-place award in our category,\u201d Grant said in an email.<\/p>\n

Last year, SARP\u2019s rocket experienced a structural failure during its Spaceport America flight. \u201cOur rocket was recovered in pretty bad shape,\u201d Grant recalled. \u201cJudges were again impressed, and we won first in our category.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, the rocket rose to a height of 17,000 feet and was successfully recovered. Grant explained that category award winners are determined on the basis of several metrics, including a preliminary design report, a technical presentation at the event and pre-launch judging as well as flight performance and recovery.<\/p>\n

When all the metrics were added up, the UW team took first place in the 30,000-foot category for hybrid or liquid-fueled rockets \u2014 plus the two plum prizes. The awards were presented on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

SARP has about 150 active members this year, Grant said. \u201cOnly about 25 of us traveled to competition this year, but we couldn\u2019t have done it without all the support of the rest of the team back home, along with our great UW faculty and staff who allow us to build this rocket almost entirely on campus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Grant also credited SARP\u2019s donors and sponsors, \u201csince rockets don\u2019t come cheap, even when we build it ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor myself and the other graduating seniors, it\u2019s been a long journey to this point,\u201d Grant said, \u201cand I think more than a few of us feel that now we\u2019ve really graduated even though we walked a week ago.\u201d<\/p>\n