University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Engineering students launched and recovered the rocket and payloads they built for the Spaceport America Cup competition hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association on June 19, 2019, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

“I feel incredible right now,” said junior Kobe Taylor, who served as electronics subsystems lead. “Project Hōkūlele has been a wonderful experience for me. I got to learn many important lessons during the planning and execution process of building the rocket as well as earning many valuable memories that I will have for the rest of my life. The launch was a beautiful success and I am excited to come back next year.”

Related UH News story: UH Mānoa students in New Mexico prep for rocket launch competition, June 18, 2019

Nine UH Mānoa engineering students comprise the Project Hōkūlele team, and worked on the UH Aerospace Technologies Vertically Integrated Project ( VIP ).

The project was made possible with $10,000 in funding from the UH Mānoa Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and $1,000 from the College of Engineering.

—By Kelli Trifonovitch