Embry-Riddle’s Rocket Development Lab Makes Debut at Spaceport America Cup

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Rocket Development Lab (RDL) made its mark on the 2024 Spaceport America Cup in June, placing in the top 40% in their first year of competition.

The Spaceport America Cup is the world's largest intercollegiate rocket engineering conference and competition, located outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico. The competition hosted 152 teams from colleges and universities from 20 countries to launch solid, liquid and hybrid rockets to altitudes up to 30,000 feet.

Watch the team’s launch on YouTube.

The RDL team, comprised of students from the Prescott Campus, had a successful rocket launch despite weather setbacks and minor repairs. The team’s custom-designed rocket reached a peak altitude of 9,700 feet and a velocity of nearly 800 feet per second.

“The team anticipates that this achievement will raise awareness for their efforts on campus,” said associate professor of aerospace engineering and the RDL team’s faculty advisor, Mark Benton. “They look forward to building on the lessons they learned from this experience to go even further in future competitions.”

The team is grateful to its sponsors, including Embry-Riddle’s Undergraduate Research Institute (URI), Prescott Auto Body, and Pat and Julio Escamilla. Their contributions and support were instrumental to the RDL team’s success.

Embry-Riddle’s RDL is a student-led organization that provides the tools and resources for undergraduates to build, test and launch rockets. This year’s team included:

• David Anderson, Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics)
• Michael Di Nisco, Mechanical Engineering (Propulsion)
• Noah Pattin, Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics)
• Emilina Salazar, Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics)
• Shea Schmidt, Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics)
• James Duncan Shour, Mechanical Engineering (Propulsion)
• Kevin Wise, Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics)

To learn more about the RDL, visit their website.