The nine students of UW’s American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) took first place in this year’s NASA-sponsored First Nations Launch competition in Kenosha, Wisconsin, winning the $3000 grand prize and an all-expense-paid tour of Kennedy Space Center to be conducted in August.

Twenty-one colleges and universities competed this time around, with second place going to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and third place to Northern Arizona University.

UW AISES also won this year’s Team Spirit Award. Scott Pinkham of the College of Engineering and American Indian Studies is the advisor of UW AISES and the co-advisor of its rocketry program, with Mike Harrell of Earth and Space Sciences being the other co-advisor of AISES rocketry and the team’s rocketry mentor.

The involvement and success of indigenous students in the UW rocketry program owes its roots to the late Robert Winglee, who both pioneered and supported the program for many many years, and who cared deeply about including students from diverse backgrounds.

Congratulations UW AISES!