What is LaunchQuest?

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT) has partnered with launch services provider UP Aerospace, Inc. to offer K-12 students the opportunity for their own science and technology investigations to be conducted on a rocket fired into space.

What is the goal of LaunchQuest?

A program of CCAT's Education Initiative, the goal of LaunchQuest is to generate interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) - particularly aerospace - while developing inquiry and design skills and increasing STEM content knowledge. As part of a new frontier of commercial space flight, LaunchQuest also fosters an appreciation for STEM entrepreneurship.

What do LaunchQuest student teams do?

LaunchQuest represents an exciting and distinctive opportunity for students to think and work like real scientists. Each student team studies the science and mathematics of rocketry and the properties of materials or organisms in which they are interested so they can design an experiment that will fly on an UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL™ sounding rocket. The rocket is designed to travel to an altitude beyond 62 miles (100 km) – the international definition of space – and spend approximately five minutes of time under microgravity conditions. Experiments are recovered upon vehicle landing and returned to students for analysis. Post-flight, students examine their payloads, analyze their data against pre-flight hypotheses, and create a final report for posting to this website.

Who has participated in LaunchQuest?

Students from throughout Connecticut have participated in LaunchQuest, as have teams from partner states Ohio and Pennsylvania, many NASA Explorer Schools across the country, and even Dutch Delta Schools in the Netherlands. Since 2006, more than 1,000 students from 50+ middle and high schools in 17 states and abroad have collaborated on over 75 LaunchQuest experiments that have been put on three SpaceLoft XL rockets.

What do participants say about LaunchQuest?

Teachers:

“Encouraging students in their pursuit of learning with an emphasis in science is so important for our schools and for our country.”

“This has been a wonderful science and technology program for our students. They are proud of their work on this project, and I believe this is just the beginning of the great things they will do in science and aerospace in the future.”

Students:

“When the rocket launched, I was in awe.”

“To have our experiment be a part of such an amazing moment in time is beyond words.”

"This is not something students usually get to do. It's just awesome."

“I think that when I grow up, I would like to work for a company like UP Aerospace. It has inspired me to create my own company.”

How do I learn more?

For more information, click "Program Details" on the left menu above.

To learn more about the most recent launch (SL-3) click "'09 Launch Event."

To find out how your school can participate, or for other inquiries, click "Contact Us."

Click on any of these pictures for higher resolution versions:

LaunchQuest is a program of: