UNM rocket getting ready for launch in June

April 19, 2019 - by Kim Delker

The University of New Mexico’s Lobo Launch had its first test launch recently. Check out the video here.

The team will participate in the Spaceport America Cup Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition June 18-22 at Spaceport America. The competition category they will be entering in is for a target altitude of 10,000 feet. The rocket launch went to around 13,000 feet during the test, so the team is now working to find ways to trim the extra 3,000 feet.

Although the group, based in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is still working out some details, the team will have at least one more test launch this spring before competition.

Lobo Launch is a senior design program that allows students to design, build, and launch an amateur rocket. The first student-built rocket launched in May 2017. Students in the project are enrolled in a 400-level, two-semester mechanical engineering course called Rocket Engineering, where they learn about rockets, structures, and propulsion systems. The program gives students a way to get hands-on experience in an aerospace project before earning their degrees.

Lobo Launch relies heavily upon donations. Donations can be made online.