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2023 First Nations Launch Competition Winners

June 19, 2023

Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium is pleased to announce the 2023 NASA Artemis Student Challenge: First Nations Launch Champions.

Moon: University of Colorado-Boulder
Mars: University of Washington-Seattle
International: Queens University

More than 119 students participated in the program, representing 21 colleges and universities from eleven states and Canada. Many congratulations are extended to the teams that overcame challenges to complete this year’s competition by traveling to Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin April 28-29, 2023. We thank Carthage College and the amazing team on campus and Tripoli Rocketry Association that helped make the launch weekend a huge success; NASA representatives from Headquarters, Office of STEM Engagement, Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), Kennedy Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Glenn Research Center, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory; industry representatives from Blue Origin, The Boeing Company, Arcadis, Raytheon Missile Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Sierra Space, and US Space Force; the Department of Natural Resources at Richard Bong Recreational Area who allows us to launch rockets; AISES, and the National Association of Rocketry Communities; as well as the Space Grant community for their support in making this opportunity available to so many undergraduate students across our great nation.  

 

2023 FNL AWARD WINNERS

MOON

MARS

Written Report

Written Report

 

1st Place

University of Colorado-Boulder

 

1st Place

Queen’s University

 

2nd Place

Turtle Mountain Community College

 

2nd Place

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

3rd Place

Northern Oklahoma College

 

3rd Place

University of North Carolina-Pembroke

Oral Presentation

Oral Presentation

 

1st Place

University of Colorado-Boulder

 

1st Place

Queen’s University

 

2nd Place

Fort Lewis College

 

2nd Place

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

 

3rd Place

Turtle Mountain Community College

 

3rd Place

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Grand Prize Award

Grand Prize Award

 

1st Place

University of Colorado-Boulder (88.8)

 

1st Place

University of Washington-Seattle (97.5)

 

2nd Place

Turtle Mountain Community College

 

2nd Place

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

3rd Place

Northern Oklahoma College

 

3rd Place

Northern Arizona University

           

International

 

1st Place

Queen’s University (103.3)

 

OVERALL

OUTREACH AWARD: University of North Carolina, Pembroke
ALTITUDE AWARD: Leech Lake Tribal College
AESTHETIC AWARD: United Tribes Technical College
PATCH DESIGN AWARD: Peyton Meader, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
NOBILE AWARD: College of Menominee Nation
JUDGE’S AWARD: Leech Lake Tribal College
SPIRIT AWARD: University of Washington, Seattle
ADVISOR AWARD: Dr. Bret Benally Thompson, University of Wisconsin, Madison
TEAM LEAD AWARD: Phillip Prairie Chief, The University of Oklahoma
ROOKIE TEAM AWARD: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

NEXT STEP AWARDS

RockOn!2023: Northern Oklahoma College
Student Launch 2024: University of North Carolina-Pembroke

An FNL team bringing their rocket to the launch pad

University of Wisconsin-Madison 2023 team presenting their rocket before launch

A rocket launching during 2023 First Nations Launch Competition

Congratulations to the winning teams! The first-place teams, the University of Colorado-Boulder and the University of Washington-Seattle, along with our International Champion, Queen’s University, will be invited to Kennedy Space Center for a VIP tour in August. The Overall Awards were announced at the First Nations Launch Banquet held on April 29, 2023, at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Massachusetts Institute of Technology student, Peyton Meader, designed the 2023 Mission Patch. She received $100 plus a framed display of her design.

Patch design for 2023 First Nations Launch Competition, designed by Peyton Meader from Massachuse...

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