Welcome to the Charger Rocket Works’ NASA Student Launch website!
Charger Rocket Works (CRW) is the competition team for the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in NASA’s Student Launch Initiative (SLI). Each year a new team of roughly 20 mechanical and aerospace engineering students participating in their senior capstone course work to design, construct, and launch a rocket with payload to accomplish a task developed by NASA.
“Student Launch is a research-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. It strives to provide relevant, cost-effective research and development of rocket propulsion systems. This project offers multiple challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation. “ – NASA
Charger Rocket Works has participated in the USLI competition almost every year since the founding, and as a part of the curriculum performs outreach to local schools and clubs to present each year’s current design and to educate students and members about the basics of rocketry. Through this program, CRW has impacted thousands of youth across the greater Huntsville area from K-12.
Each year of the competition roughly 30 schools and universities compete in the university category where they design high-powered rockets that then complete a mission outlined by NASA in its request for proposals (RFP) ranging from a self-leveling lander to a remote ice extraction rover. Through these competitions CRW has had great success, frequently placing in various categories and occasionally overall.