Overview
CU InSpace is an engineering design team that specializes in the production of high-powered rockets. The team is composed of undergraduate students with a shared passion for rocketry that work to compete in the annual Spaceport America Cup and the Launch Canada Challenge. We design, build and launch high-power rockets and an 8.8 lb payload to an altitude of 30,000 feet above the surface of the Earth.
In 2017, the CU InSpace team competed successfully against 120 international teams at their first Spaceport America Cup Competition in New Mexico. They were one of 63 teams that successfully managed to launch their rocket. CU InSpace also successfully launched rockets at the 2018 and 2019 Spaceport America Cup Competitions, each year improving over the previous in recoverability and reusability of the booster. In 2021 the team competed in the 2021 Virtual Spaceport America Cup, placing 13th in our category and winning the overall team sportsmanship award!
Last year, CU InSpace returned to flying rockets by successfully launching McNominal to over 12,000 feet above the surface.
This year, CU InSpace plans to return to the Spaceport America Cup at Spaceport America, New Mexico in June with a rocket designed to break the sound barrier and achieve the highest altitude we’ve ever shot for, 30,000 feet. We also intend on launching a second rocket in the same year for the first time ever, demonstrating a relaunch of last year’s rocket, McNominal, at Launch Canada in Cochrane, Ontario.
The Rollout
The funds that are donated will be used by the team to purchase components and tooling that will help us build a rocket that is flight-worthy. The money donated will also help us cover expenses associated with our competitions.
Transporting and launching a rocket at the Spaceport America Cup is not a cheap endeavour. We need funds to transport the rocket, assist our mentors in traveling to the competition, and pay for competition fees and other associated costs with being in New Mexico.
Funds from this campaign will also be used to purchase components outside the normal funding schedule of CU InSpace, this allows us to have more flexibility with purchasing components during the build process of the rocket.
The Impact
The impact that funds donated to CU InSpace would have been significant. CU InSpace is one of the few opportunities that students have to work on large-scale engineering projects. This paves the way for their professional careers, opening doors to internships, conferences, and further educational opportunities. This opportunity is increased for those that attend our competitions; something that our future funder donations help fund. There, students are exposed to peers and educators from in excess of 120 schools around the world, not to mention representatives from across the range of space sector jobs. Finally, the funds donated also stay within the Carleton community. CU InSpace provides a community for students to learn and grow together forging connections that can last a lifetime.