menu

Spaceport America Cup

 45,047

Spaceport America Cup 2023

Join us as we host thousands of the world's most ambitious collegiate rocketeers in a one-of-a-kind event.

This challenge is closed

stage:
Project Technical Report Due, School Participation Letter, Poster and Podium Materials

This challenge is closed

more
Summary
Timeline
Updates65
Forum282
Teams2.3K
Resources
FAQ
Summary

Overview

SPACEPORT AMERICA CUP 2023

Over 1,500 students and faculty will gather in Southern New Mexico for the fourth annual Spaceport America Cup in June of 2023.  Drawn by the opportunity to collaborate and compete at a world class spaceport facility, you represent the best and brightest from more than 150 colleges and universities located across the USA and around the world. 

Join us as we host thousands of the world's most ambitious collegiate rocketeers in a one-of-a-kind event. Part academic conference and part design-build-fly style competition, the Spaceport America Cup has something to offer students, faculty, industry representatives, and amateur aerospace aficionados alike.

 

The future beckons. 
​How will you answer the call?

Whether you are an academic, an industry representative, a retired professional, or simply a passionate amateur supportive of young minds who seek new horizons... there are many ways you may become a part of an event impacting the future of aerospace...

As a Sponsor...

You could interact with over a thousand talented STEM students from top ranked schools in a professional setting. You will see both them and their hardware perform in real world conditions. Furthermore, you will be helping make possible an event which helps make the best possible candidates for your company! 

As a Volunteer or Judge...

You will join the highly motivated team which brings together the thousands of moving pieces to build the world's largest collegiate rocket engineering conference and competition. From directing crowds to directing launches and everything in-between, we need your volunteerism at the Spaceport America Cup! 

As a Student... 

You will demonstrate your hard work on an international stage, in front of hundreds of your peers, professors, and prospective employers. You will engage in design-build-fly style rocket and payload engineering competitions in a professional setting, at world class facilities, where the sky is not the limit!


Guidelines

Guidelines for Spaceport America Cup - Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) are hosted on our website! 

You'll want to review the following documents:

  • IREC Rules and Requirements Document
  • IREC Design, Test, and Evaluation Guide
  • Integrated Master Schedule

www.soundingrocket.org/sa-cup-documents--forms.html

Timeline
Updates65

Challenge Updates

Invitation to all Teams - Virgin Galactic Starry Nights - Your team must pre-register

June 9, 2023, 1:37 p.m. PDT by ESRA VP

Our annual tradition continues as we take some time away from launching to mix and mingle with other teams and our sponsors. Join @ Virgin Galactic for a night of space trivia and moon gazing in the dark New Mexico skies. Trivia starts at 6:30pm and ends at 8:30pm and will be at the NMSU Clubhouse on the beautiful NMSU Golf Course. Trivia teams will be limited to six participants each and the top three trivia teams will get a tour the next day (Saturday, June 24th) of the Gateway to Space, the Virgin Galactic facility at Spaceport America.

 

Starry Nights will continue at the NMSU driving range and look up at the moon and stars with telescopes from local astronomers from the Astronomical Society of Las Cruces and NMSU Department of Astronomy. 

 

Pre-register for Starry Nights using this link, only one response is needed per team: https://forms.gle/VjAkbj8GLwJrXEdU9


DEADLINE in 3 Days - June 10th - Final Student Team Survey

June 7, 2023, 7:22 a.m. PDT by ESRA VP

Less than 25 teams have submitted this form as of today.

 

This survey is very similar to the first student team survey and is very easy to complete.  


ESRA requires a full, final listing of attending students with their TRA Member ID#'s.

Failure to complete this form will make your check in process VERY VERY SLOW.

You will need to download the template, complete it and submit it within this form.

One submission per team.

https://forms.gle/MALFPZrt74b9RawA8


www.spaceportamericacup.com website is down - This includes the liability waiver form

June 6, 2023, 8:37 a.m. PDT by ESRA VP

The webhost facility internet connection was cut and is being restored as we speak.

We will update everyone once the connection is restored.


Safety Reminder from the National Association of Rocketry - Rocket Prep Safety in Hotels. homes, etc.

June 6, 2023, 8:27 a.m. PDT by ESRA VP

From a recent incident at a NAR launch.

Please ensure your teams are extra safe while working on rockets away from the Vertical Launch Area (VLA).

https://www.nar.org/message-from-the-president/

Here's the message from Dr. Hochheimer:

Safety Minute:

I would like to bring up a safety issue that occurred over the weekend. This is intended to be a reminder to all about the importance of ensuring that onboard or component electronic systems should be operated and secured in a safe manner, on and off the flying field.

An incident happened at one of the hotels in town where some of the National Sport Launch attendees were staying. Please note, while the incident is still being investigated, I will not provide specific information about what happened. In brief, a high-power rocket motor accidently ignited in a hotel room. There were no serious injuries, but the room was damaged and guests at the hotel had to leave their rooms while the fire department controlled the situation and cleared the smoke. Let me remind all of important safety considerations:

  • Please avoid bringing high-power motors into hotel rooms, especially with ignitors inserted into the motors.
  • Do not assemble ejection charges in hotel rooms.
  • Do not assemble complex rockets in hotel rooms.
  • Treat assembled rocket motors, igniters, and ejection charges with care and high levels of safety.
  • Please, make sure that all electronics are turned off and disconnected from any igniters or ejection charges when not in a safe location.
  • Please understand the safe operation of all electronics you use.
  • Please ensure there are no igniters in any rocket motors, particularly high-power motors, unless on the pad or otherwise deemed safe at an outdoor location.
  • Please follow the NAR Model Rocket and High-Power Safety Codes on and off the flying field.

Safe and Appropriate Clothing Document - Requirements for the Vertical Launch Area

June 4, 2023, 7:27 a.m. PDT by ESRA VP

Please download this document and share it with your team.

https://www.soundingrocket.org/sa-cup-documents--forms.html 

Proper Clothing for the Spaceport America Cup

This document provides student team members, staff and volunteers with a highly recommended style of clothing for dealing with the harsh desert environment out at Spaceport America's Vertical Launch Area.  The southern New Mexico desert can often reach temperatures in excess of 110F or 42C.  

 

Wearing inappropriate clothing such as flip flops, swimming attire, etc can lead to points deductions or even removal from the site.


Forum282
Teams2.3K
Team Accepted to Compete
Team Accepted
1st Progress Report
2nd Progress Report
3rd Progress Report
AYUSHMAN DASH 20BLC1039's team AYUSHMAN DASH 20BLC1039's team
1 team member
Looking for members
Turtle rocket agency Turtle rocket agency
1 team member
Looking for members
Space City Rocketry - University of Houston's team Space City Rocketry - University of Houston's team
12 team members
Looking for members
ZACHARY TEAL's team ZACHARY TEAL's team
1 team member
Looking for members
Sumedh S Vijay's team Sumedh S Vijay's team
1 team member
Looking for members
University of Utah Aerospace Club University of Utah Aerospace Club
3 team members
Looking for members
Gonzaga University Rocketry Team Gonzaga University Rocketry Team
7 team members
Looking for members
WUST PoliWRocket WUST PoliWRocket
15 team members
Looking for members
NCKU ISP NCKU ISP
4 team members
Looking for members
SJSU SPARK SJSU SPARK
7 team members
Looking for members
Duke AERO Duke AERO
9 team members
Looking for members
OSU - High Altitude Rocket Team OSU - High Altitude Rocket Team
4 team members
Looking for members
Rocketry at NIC Rocketry at NIC
14 team members
Looking for members
Team Raptor Team Raptor
6 team members
Looking for members
Pamukkale University Hazar Pamukkale University Hazar
7 team members
Looking for members
TAMIU SEDS TAMIU SEDS
1 team member
Looking for members
South Hampton Institute of Technology South Hampton Institute of Technology
1 team member
Looking for members
University of Samsun - Samsun Rocket Team University of Samsun - Samsun Rocket Team
9 team members
Looking for members
Aayaam Aayaam
6 team members
Looking for members
SkyDz SkyDz
10 team members
Looking for members
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
24 team members
Looking for members
GTU ETERNAL ROCKET TEAM GTU ETERNAL ROCKET TEAM
7 team members
Looking for members
CSUF-Bulldog Rocket Team CSUF-Bulldog Rocket Team
4 team members
Looking for members
LAGARI THRUST ROCKET TEAM LAGARI THRUST ROCKET TEAM
10 team members
Looking for members
Team Artemis's team Team Artemis's team
1 team member
Looking for members
UWA Aerospace UWA Aerospace
5 team members
Looking for members
Rocketry Agency Rocketry Agency
19 team members
Looking for members
Happyorsadd's team Happyorsadd's team
1 team member
Looking for members
Cowboy Rocketworks - Oklahoma State University Cowboy Rocketworks - Oklahoma State University
7 team members
Looking for members
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
6 team members
Looking for members
Illinois Tech Rocketry Illinois Tech Rocketry
11 team members
Looking for members
AURA SPACE TEAM AURA SPACE TEAM
4 team members
Looking for members
SNU Rocket Team HANARO SNU Rocket Team HANARO
13 team members
Looking for members
akif a's team akif a's team
2 team members
Looking for members
Hacettepe University Hacettepe University
24 team members
Looking for members
Chaitanya Astra (Strides) Chaitanya Astra (Strides)
4 team members
Looking for members
Resources
FAQ