The Spaceport America Cup is the world’s largest Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) for student rocketry teams. As research-based competition with over 140 teams from universities in more than 30 countries, the competition allows teams to push the bounds of rocketry and engineering. Teams launch solid, liquid, or hybrid rockets to target altitudes of 10,000 or 30,000 feet in Las Cruces, New Mexico each June. To learn more about the Spaceport America Cup, check out their competition website.
Through this competition, Swamp Launch Rocket Team members research rocketry capabilities and develop new solutions, continually pushing the bounds of engineering.
Through this competition, Swamp Launch Rocket Team members research rocketry capabilities and develop new solutions, continually pushing the bounds of engineering.
2024 - HE'S RIGHT BEHIND ME, ISN'T HE?
Placement: TBD
Highlights
Swamp Launch has begun development of the 2023-2024 project for the 10,000 ft COTS category. The rocket, named "He's Right Behind Me, Isn't He?" will be accompanied by the CubeSat chase cam payload, named "Here's Johnny!".
Swamp Launch has begun development of the 2023-2024 project for the 10,000 ft COTS category. The rocket, named "He's Right Behind Me, Isn't He?" will be accompanied by the CubeSat chase cam payload, named "Here's Johnny!".
Spaceport America Cup leadership for the 2023-2024 school year.
Documentation
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
2023 - SEE YA LATER, ALLIGATOR
Placement: 19th/67 teams (10,000 ft COTS category), 29th/159 teams (overall)
Payload Challenge: Honorable Mention for Technical Ingenuity
Highlights
As the first year Swamp Launch competed in the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, 2023 was a pivotal year for growth and learning. Our rocket, named "See Ya Later, Alligator", competed in the 10,000 ft COTS category and housed the payload, "In a While, Crocodile", an SRAD autonomous drone. The drone was manufactured from custom prepreg carbon fiber sheets and its flight controller was developed by the team from scratch. Notable vehicle features include SRAD carbon fiber airframe and an SRAD CO2 ejection system.
As the first year Swamp Launch competed in the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, 2023 was a pivotal year for growth and learning. Our rocket, named "See Ya Later, Alligator", competed in the 10,000 ft COTS category and housed the payload, "In a While, Crocodile", an SRAD autonomous drone. The drone was manufactured from custom prepreg carbon fiber sheets and its flight controller was developed by the team from scratch. Notable vehicle features include SRAD carbon fiber airframe and an SRAD CO2 ejection system.
"See Ya Later, Alligator" (left, center) and "In a While, Crocodile" (right) at competition in Las Cruces.
The team completed a vehicle test flight in Palm Bay, FL in April 2023.
Test flight of "See Ya Later, Alligator" in Palm Bay, FL.
Documentation
2022 - TROPOGATOR
Project Development Year
Highlights
The 2021-2022 school year was a project development year for the team. Our rocket, named "Tropogator," was designed for the 10,000 ft COTS category and housed a 3U CubeSat payload. The payload aimed to maintain orientation to magnetic north despite disturbances during deployment and descent.
The 2021-2022 school year was a project development year for the team. Our rocket, named "Tropogator," was designed for the 10,000 ft COTS category and housed a 3U CubeSat payload. The payload aimed to maintain orientation to magnetic north despite disturbances during deployment and descent.
The airframe was constructed from wet carbon fiber layups performed by our team.
Wet carbon fiber layups performed by the Structures team.
The team completed a test launch of our subscale rocket, Kilwin, in Plant City, FL, and completed the manufacturing of the full-scale vehicle, Tropogator.
Subscale test flight of Kilwin (left) and full-scale rocket at the launch site in Labelle, FL (center, right).
The team also attended the AIAA conference and presented the project's progress.
Swamp Launch at the 2022 AIAA Conference.
Documentation