Reviewed by: Callie Morrison
UAB’s Rocketry Club accepted into NASA Student Launch
Reading time: 2 minutes
The brand new University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)’s Rocketry Club has been accepted into NASA’s highly competitive Student Launch program. In their first year ever, this student-led team landed a spot in a national program that challenges them to design, build and launch a high-powered rocket.
Read on to hear about the Rocketry Club’s accomplishments and about what it means to be a part of the NASA Student Launch program.
So, who’s making it all happen?
Over the next nine months, the team will follow NASA’s full design process—think engineering reviews, simulations, safety checks and finally, a real launch day. Not only does their rocket need to fly to a precise altitude, it also has to carry a custom scientific payload that they’ll design and analyze.
Faculty advisor Dr. Cheng-Chien Chen has guided the team, while student leadership like President John Francis Zech pushed for excellence in both technical design and public outreach.
Beyond the competition, UAB’s Rocketry Club plans local STEM outreach to inspire K–12 students in Birmingham, sharing their journey and sparking curiosity about aerospace.
What is NASA Student Launch?
The NASA Student Launch is a nationwide, nine-month competition that invites student teams to design, construct, test and launch a high-powered rocket equipped with a scientific or engineering payload. This hands-on program emphasizes research and engineering practices, culminating in an annual launch event in Huntsville, Alabama—the site of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
The initiative includes multiple challenge levels and is open to a wide range of participants, from middle and high schoolers to college students.
Throughout the program, teams work closely with NASA experts and aerospace professionals—an exciting opportunity for UAB’s Rocketry Club.
Birmingham, say congratulations to the Rocketry Club for this huge accomplishment! Follow Bham Now on Instagram, Facebook + LinkedIn, and sign up for our FREE newsletter.
