HEARNE, Texas – Rio Grande Valley students successfully launched and recovered Project Vortex, a student-built high-powered rocket, during a flight Saturday at Hearne Municipal Airport.
The rocket lifted off at about 11 a.m., reached a confirmed altitude of 8,300 feet and hit a maximum speed of approximately 900 feet per second, according to a release from the South Texas Astronomical Society.
A drogue parachute deployed after the rocket reached its peak altitude, stabilizing the first stage of descent. The main parachute opened at approximately 1,000 feet, allowing Project Vortex to land safely before the team located and recovered it.
The mission completed the rocket’s first full flight and recovery sequence after months of design, fabrication, testing and launch preparation by students in the society’s Launchpad program.
The team used 10,000 feet as an engineering design target. Organizers said completing the entire flight and two-stage recovery system on the first launch represented a significant technical achievement regardless of the final altitude.
