{"id":570,"date":"2025-01-21T18:29:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T18:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/?page_id=570"},"modified":"2025-03-02T04:58:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T04:58:59","slug":"nasa-sli","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/nasa-sli\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA SLI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The NASA Student Launch Initiative (<strong>SLI<\/strong>) is an annual rocketry competition hosted by NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It challenges university and high school teams to design, build, and launch a high-powered rocket carrying a functional scientific payload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams follow a nine-month engineering design cycle, including proposals, critical design reviews (CDR), and extensive documentation. Rockets must reach a target altitude of 4,000 to 5,500 feet while deploying and recovering their payload safely. These payloads often include autonomous landing systems, environmental sensors, or robotic mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SLI provides hands-on experience in aerospace engineering, while also requiring teams to engage in STEM outreach. For the Akronauts, NASA SLI was a crucial milestone, refining their engineering practices before shifting to higher-altitude projects. Their 2020 Project 22 rocket, flown for SLI, was particularly meaningful, honoring veterans and raising awareness for mental health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Project 22 (2020)<\/strong><br>The team\u2019s final NASA SLI rocket, dedicated to raising awareness for veteran suicide prevention. It flew successfully and later became a permanent display in the University of Akron\u2019s Veterans Lounge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Astrea (2019)<\/strong><br>Launched at NASA SLI 2019, securing 3rd place overall. It also earned 1st place in Outreach and 2nd place in Best-Looking Rocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lazarus (2018)<\/strong><br>Competed at NASA SLI but suffered a failed recovery due to ejection charge issues, resulting in a hard impact with the ground. However, the remnants of Lazarus led to the creation of Laus, a modified rocket built for Spaceport America Cup that same year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zaphod (2017)<\/strong><br>Named after a character from The Hitchhiker\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy, it won the Excellence in Design Award at NASA SLI. The payload was designed to keep five clay pigeons intact during flight, a challenge where some teams used eggs instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Beyond NASA SLI: Reaching for Greater Heights<\/strong><br>While NASA SLI was instrumental in shaping the Akronauts\u2019 engineering process, its <strong>5,500<\/strong>-foot altitude ceiling eventually became a limiting factor. As the team\u2019s ambitions grew, so did the need for higher-altitude challenges. By 2021, the team made the strategic decision to move beyond SLI, shifting focus to competitions like <strong>Spaceport America Cup<\/strong> and independent launches that allowed for higher performance rockets and more experimental propulsion systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This transition paved the way for the <em>Emergence <\/em>series, a multi-year project designed to push Akronauts-built rockets higher with each iteration, culminating in a future collegiate space shot. Additionally, the team expanded into liquid propulsion development, further aligning with industry trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaving SLI was not about stepping away from competition\u2014it was about pushing boundaries. The Akronauts remain committed to innovation, altitude-breaking missions, and one day reaching space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NASA Student Launch Initiative (SLI) is an annual rocketry competition hosted by NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It challenges university and high school teams to design,<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/nasa-sli\/\" class=\"readmore\">Continue reading<svg class=\"icon icon-arrow-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"img\"> <use href=\"#icon-arrow-right\" xlink:href=\"#icon-arrow-right\"><\/use> <\/svg><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">NASA SLI<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4748,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-570","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":553,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/team-timeline\/","url_meta":{"origin":570,"position":0},"title":"Team Timeline","author":"jja66","date":"January 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2014, the Akronauts Rocket Design Team was born from a simple question\u2014why wait for someone else to launch our payload when we could build the rocket ourselves? What started as a late-night idea quickly became a reality, drawing over 100 passionate students in its first year. With no funding,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2025\/01\/Colorful-Gradient-Modern-Minimal-Period-Timeline-Infographic-4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2025\/01\/Colorful-Gradient-Modern-Minimal-Period-Timeline-Infographic-4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2025\/01\/Colorful-Gradient-Modern-Minimal-Period-Timeline-Infographic-4.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2025\/01\/Colorful-Gradient-Modern-Minimal-Period-Timeline-Infographic-4.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2025\/01\/Colorful-Gradient-Modern-Minimal-Period-Timeline-Infographic-4.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2025\/01\/Colorful-Gradient-Modern-Minimal-Period-Timeline-Infographic-4.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/sponsors\/","url_meta":{"origin":570,"position":1},"title":"Sponsors","author":"ngz2","date":"August 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Thank you to all those who sponsor the Akronauts Rocket Design Team! The Akronauts Rocket Design Team extends our deepest gratitude to our sponsors. Your generous support provides the resources we need to design, build, and launch cutting-edge rockets, pushing the boundaries of student-led aerospace engineering. Without you, our missions\u2014whether\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/08\/IMG_5845.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/08\/IMG_5845.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/08\/IMG_5845.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/08\/IMG_5845.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":287,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/spaceport-america\/","url_meta":{"origin":570,"position":2},"title":"International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC)","author":"das264","date":"March 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"What is IREC? For the past 10 years, the Akronauts have competed at the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), formerly known as Spaceport America Cup. Now with over 150 collegiate teams and 7000+ students from all around the world, IREC is an experience like no other. Teams are scored on\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2024\/03\/PXL_20230622_191700351.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2024\/03\/PXL_20230622_191700351.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2024\/03\/PXL_20230622_191700351.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2024\/03\/PXL_20230622_191700351.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2024\/03\/PXL_20230622_191700351.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2024\/03\/PXL_20230622_191700351.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":560,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/publications\/","url_meta":{"origin":570,"position":3},"title":"Publications","author":"jja66","date":"January 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Akronauts Rocket Design Team has a strong history of research and innovation. Throughout the years, multiple members have published their work in academic and professional settings. These publications cover a range of topics, including propulsion testing, aerodynamics, materials science, and avionics. Research from our team has been featured in\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/our-team\/","url_meta":{"origin":570,"position":4},"title":"Our Team","author":"ajh269","date":"August 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Akronauts Rocket Design team follows a four-tier structure.\u00a0 At the top there are seven officers who govern which projects the team will pursue and have the responsibility of passing on their knowledge to the younger members. Next are five system managers that are in charge of guiding the individual\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/","url_meta":{"origin":570,"position":5},"title":"WE GIVE STUDENTS THE EXPERIENCE THEY NEED TO GET A JOB IN THE SPACE INDUSTRY","author":"das264","date":"June 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The Akronauts are a student design team at The University of Akron focused on developing innovative designs to excel at the collegiate rocketry level. A few of our projects are launching multi-stage rockets, spaceshot rockets, and developing a liquid-fueled rocket engine that can throttle and gimbal. We are the team\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/11\/Launch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/11\/Launch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/11\/Launch.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/11\/Launch.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1635\/2023\/11\/Launch.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4748"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=570"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":770,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/570\/revisions\/770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/akronauts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}