Space Academy HSE Program
General Information
Cubes in Space Program
Join us on an exhilarating journey where you will go from designing and building your own payload to launching it into space on board of a sounding rocket or a long-duration high altitude balloon!
You will develop your own space mission as part of a team to participate in the Cubes in Space Program. You will be guided step-by-step by experts to create a high-quality proposal, ideate a scientific experiment, develop your own space mission and build the hardware within the imposed requirements.
Your training will include circuits, electronics, programming, systems engineering, project management, mission development, testing protocols, engineering design, journaling, design reviews, etc. No previous experience is required.
The program will include on-site visits from the Mobile Earth + Space Observatory (MESO) to deliver relevant content on planetary science, astrophysics, instrumentation, optics, etc. MESO is a "science center on wheels" that focuses on hands-on learning, so you will get to interact with the exhibits and passionate scientist-educators.
Field trips to local industry and guest speakers are also part of the curriculum to gain a better understanding of the different engineering disciplines.
American Rocketry Challenge
The challenge provides a yearlong opportunity to gain hands-on engineering experience by designing, building, testing, and launching a model rocket to meet rigorous requirements. This program exposes students to STEM concepts and their application in the real-world as they relate to rocketry, while also developing teamwork , problem-solving, and leadership skills.
Teams are capped to 10 students, so we may have more than one team participating. You will learn from experts and mentors and will have plenty of opportunities to build and launch rockets throughout the year.
Challenge rules change each year, so we don't know yet what the 2027 challenge will entail. To give you an idea, the 2025 challenge is about designing, building and launching a model rocket that carries a raw grade A large egg to an altitude of 750 ft, stays airborne for 36-39 seconds, and returns the rocket to the ground safely with the egg intact.
There are more than one thousand teams participating this year, and only the top 100 teams are invited to attend the National Finals near Washington, DC. So, be ready to gain skills, contribute to your team in a meaningful way, try multiple times, and be the best rocket engineer you can be!
Expectations
We expect that you will actively participate in hands-on and training activities, sometimes individually and sometimes as a group. You are expected to work within a diverse team whose members have various levels of experience and range in age from 11 to 18 years old. We also expect that you show initiative, but are also willing to be mentored. Furthermore, you are expected to learn, grow, and have fun!