The University of Texas at Austin and the nonprofit organization run by Austin-based firm Firefly Aerospace have partnered to launch a new rocket engineering program.
$1M Gift Launches Rocket Program For UT
Students In Engineering Program To Help Construct Full Scale Rocket
The University of Texas at Austin and the nonprofit organization run by Austin-based firm Firefly Aerospace, Firefly Academy, have partnered to launch a new rocket engineering program. The $1 million gift from Firefly Aerospace will establish Firefly@UT, a multi-year program that for the first time provides UT students the chance to design, develop and assemble an industrial-scale capable of launching to the edge of space. Regardless of their field study, graduate and undergraduate engineers will participate in the construction of a full scale, liquid-fueled rocket.
The Cockrell School recently named the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab to serve as the program’s headquarters. This lab gives students unheard of industry-level experience with aerospace engineering faculty members and mentorship on campus from Firefly Aerospace engineers. As one of a select few in the nation, the project culminates with the 2021 Base 11 Space Challenge. The competition tasks student-led teams with launching a liquid-propelled, single-stage rocket to an altitude of 100 kilometers by December 30, 2021.
“Space is the future of our economy,” said Dr. Tom Markusic, founder and CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “With Firefly@UT, we want to help students develop a passion for rocket engineering and learn how to conceptualize designs and work with real materials. These are important skills and experiences that will set them apart in an increasingly competitive recruiting environment. By sharing the challenges we’ve overcome while developing our Firefly Alpha launch vehicle, we provide UT students a unique opportunity to learn as we learn and further the Firefly vision of ‘Making Space for Everyone.’”
Read more at http://engr.utexas.edu/news/8347-firefly-at-ut-1m-gift-rocket-engineering
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