The NASA Student Launch Initiative (SLI) is a rocket and payload building challenge designed for middle and high school students. It requires an eight month commitment to successfully design, build. Construct, test, launch, and recover a reusable rocket and science payload. The SLI is more than designing and building a rocket from a commercial kit; it involves diverse aspects such as scheduling, purchasing, performing calculations, financing the project, coordinating logistics, and documenting impact on education through reports and design reviews.

 

The performance targets for the reusable launch vehicle and payload are:

 

· The vehicle shall carry a science payload.

· The vehicle shall be developed so that it delivers the science payload to a specific altitude of 5,289 feet above ground level.

· The launch and science payload shall be designed to be recoverable and reusable.

· Data from science payload shall be collected, analyzed, and reported be the team following the scientific method.