MSU Space Cowboys Rocketry Team launches to best all-time finish at Spaceport America Cup

The Mississippi State Space Cowboys rocketry team reached new heights in its history with a record high overall finish at the 2024 Spaceport America Cup.

Held in New Mexico, the annual intercollegiate rocket competition invited student teams to design, build and launch rockets across six categories.

The team competed in the 30K Commercial Off-The-Shelf solid motor category with its rocket Daedalus, a single-stage launch vehicle named after the skilled craftsman in Greek mythology. Standing at 11.5 feet and weighing 72.3 pounds, Daedalus propelled the team to 32nd place out of 152 teams from six continents.

Lillian Stewart, former Daedalus chief engineer and 2024 aerospace engineering graduate, said the achievement is well deserved.

“The season was not only recorded as our highest ranking in competition, but it also highlights the team’s ability to try new processes and designs to effectively learn by doing and foster innovation,” Stewart said. “I commend the team for the amount of effort and enthusiasm that was poured into this season, and I am excited to see where this momentum takes them.”

The rocket’s design process began soon after last year’s Spaceport America Cup ended. Construction was a yearlong process, but difficult weather and rushed assembly prevented the team from completing any test flights. At the competition, the team’s main goal was to launch the rocket as early as possible to avoid inclement weather. They accomplished their goal and were the first to launch in the category, successfully completing the launch and achieving the team’s best finish.

Hosted by Spaceport America, the Spaceport America Cup is the world’s largest intercollegiate rocket engineering conference and competition. For more, visit https://spaceportamericacup.com.