RockSat-X
The RockSat-X program is an initiative by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium in conjunction with NASA's Sounding Rocket Program Office (SRPO) to provide low-cost access to space for university student design teams.
![earth from space](/content/eng_vt_edu/en/academics/student-teams/rocksat-x/_jcr_content/content/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.jpeg)
What is RockSat-X at VT?
The RockSat-X program is an initiative to provide low-cost access to space for university student design teams. Teams are allotted a modular payload space on a sounding rocket which is launched every August from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Virginia Tech team has participated in the program for the past 4 years and has successfully completed a variety of experiments. The team’s overarching mission is to demonstrate and advance space-based technology for the benefit of the public.
![Engineering students working in a chemical engineering lab. rocksat-x being worked on](/content/eng_vt_edu/en/academics/student-teams/rocksat-x/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
![rocksat-x launch](/content/eng_vt_edu/en/academics/student-teams/rocksat-x/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage_copy.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
![rocksat-x payload](/content/eng_vt_edu/en/academics/student-teams/rocksat-x/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_2/adaptiveimage_copy.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Who can join?
The team is currently comprised of 15 undergraduate engineering students from a variety of majors: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science.
Accomplishments
The Virginia Tech team has participated in the program for the past 4 years and has successfully completed a variety of experiments.
Fast Facts
Team size: About 15 members
Department Afiliation: Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering