 Fond du Lac rocket launch at a past competition |
 UW Madison "Cow" rocket lifting off |
2025-2026 Space Grant (in-the-)Midwest High-Power Rocketry Competition - the "Secret Message" Challenge
IMPORTANT: A Notice
of Intent to Compete form (non-binding) must
be filed by 9/30/2025. No late entries.
A general announcement is posted below. A competition handbook will be posted by 9/15/2025. More details provided at informational videocon held at 7 p.m. Central Time on 9/15/2025 (and repeated at 7 p.m. Central Time on 1/8/2026).
The Minnesota Space Grant Consortium (MnSGC) announces its intention to run the Space Grant (in-the-)Midwest High-Power Rocketry Competition. The fly-off will be held in Minnesota, but this competition is open to college/university student teams from across the nation during the 2025-2026 academic year. This competition is an opportunity for students to design and construct high-power rockets to be launched in May 2026 from a Tripoli high-power rocket club launch site just north of Minneapolis.
The
2025-2026 Space Grant Midwest High-Power Rocket
“Secret Message” Challenge (summary
description):
Student
teams will design and construct single-motor,
single-stage, high-power rocket to fly twice
during the competition. This year the challenges
are:
Have the
rocket carry a down-facing camera system to
collect in-flight video watching a set of
up-facing bright lights spread out near the launch
pads that are flashing a repeating coded message
(about 10 seconds long, with new patterns
displayed approximately every half second) and
keep the set of lights in view and be able to
distinguish the patterns for as long as possible,
during both ascent and descent.
Implement
a roll-control mechanism, with indicator lights in
view of the down-facing camera system, showing
what the mechanism is trying to do. Demonstrate
the ability to control the roll of the rocket on
ascent (at least roll CW 90°, then roll CCW 90°).
Note: Teams can try to use the roll control
capability to keep the set of lights in view.
Have the
rocket carry a “non-commercial” (i.e. not sold for
rocketry) data-logging sensor suite and use it to
log at least once a second (even faster would be
better) gps (latitude, longitude, and altitude),
ambient pressure, 3-axis acceleration, 3-axis
roll, and status of the roll control mechanism
during the entire flight.
One
competition flight will use a 29 mm diameter
AeroTech H195 DMS single-use motor (no case
required). The second flight will use a 38 mm
diameter Cesaroni I170 (requires a 3-grain case)
reloadable motor.
Bonus
points will be given to (1) teams whose member(s)
increase their certification level(s) using
individually-built rockets (in parallel with the
(team-built) competition rocket), (2) teams that
implement a telemetry system with which they can
transmit information about the pattern of lights
(i.e. evidence that they “got the message,” even
if they cannot decode it (yet)) to a ground
station located near the LCO table within 10
minutes of landing and before going out to
recover the rocket, and (3) teams that are able to
decode the message (more bonus points given to
teams that decode the message more quickly).
Additional
details about the competition will be included in a
handbook, including due dates and report content/
page limits. Note: All fabrication work on the
rocket(s), except for possibly machining of plastic
and/or metal parts, must be performed by students.
Logistical questions may be directed
to James Flaten, MN Space Grant, U of MN, flate001@umn.edu.
Technical questions may be directed to Gary
Stroick, Tripoli MN, president@offwegorocketry.com.
INDUSTRY SPONSORS:
- TBA
IMPORTANT DATES:
• Kick-off/informational videocon: Monday, Sept. 15, 2025 (repeated Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026) from 7 to 8 p.m. CST (contact James Flaten, flate001@umn.edu, for call-in information)
• Submit a (Non-binding) “Notice of Intent to Compete” and test-flight motor order by Sept. 30, 2025 (this deadline applies even to schools that plan to form their team later in the school year)
• A non-refundable $400 Team Registration Fee is due by Dec. 1, 2025, about $100 of which will be applied toward the purchase of two competition motors
• In-person Competition Dates: Presentations & Safety Checks on Saturday, 5/16/2026* (mid-afternoon & evening); flights on Sunday, 5/17/2026* (all day, plus an evening banquet (even if we have not flown))
•
Alternate (weather-delay) Flight Date: Monday,
5/18/2026* (as long as needed)
DOCUMENT ARCHIVE FOR THE 2025-2026 "SECRET MESSAGE" CHALLENGE
- Announcement of Competition (circulated September 1, 2025):
- Handbook for Competition (coming soon):
- Slides and link to recording from Informational Videocon on 9/15/2025 (repeat 1/8/2026)
- Will be posted by the time of the informational videocon on 9/15/2025
- "Notice of Intent to Compete" Form (including motor order) (due Sept. 30, 2025 - send form by e-mail to James Flaten, MN Space Grant, flate001@umn.edu)
- Slides will be posted after the September informational videocon
- A Zoom recording will be posted after the September informational videocon
- Will be posted no later than 9/15/2025
- Reports by a past year's winning team (UMD) - optional reading
- Instructions for paying the $400 registration fee (and, separately, for test / certification motors) - payment due Dec. 1, 2025
- Will be posted prior to 12/1/2025
- "Declaration of Competition Attendance" Template (will be due mid-Feb, 2026) - submit by e-mail to James Flaten flate001@umn.edu
- Will be posted no later than 2/1/2026
- Information about hotels and camping options, plus stores (like hardware stores) and other "local attractions"
- Will be posted no later than 4/1/2026
Last Modified: 2025-09-03 at 09:39:46 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation