18-04-2025
NASA bound: 5 things to know about Hawaiʻi's rocket team
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A team of engineering students from Hawai'i Pacific University is preparing to launch big dreams into the sky and into space history.
The students are part of a national NASA competition that puts their rocket-building skills to the test against 70 other teams of student engineers.
The 2025 NASA Student Launch Competition challenges college teams to design, build and launch high-powered rockets. HPU is the only university in Hawai'i competing in the event.
The competition culminates with a final launch on May 3 in Huntsville, Alabama, home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Their team is called Lewa, the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi word for 'air'. It includes eight electrical engineering students mentored by Assistant Professor Arif Rahman, Ph.D.
'We are incredibly proud to represent Hawai'i in this national competition,' Rahman said. 'We named our team 'Lewa' to honor Hawai'i's heritage. Air symbolizes both the medium we're launching through and the boundless possibilities ahead of us.'
So, what's the competition going to look like and what will it mean for the winning team? Here's what NASA Student Launch is a nine-month, hands-on experience where students develop the skills to launch a rocket and follow the same design process NASA uses for real missions. From early sketches to flight tests, teams must go through design reviews with NASA experts at every step.
'This NASA student challenge is an amazing real-world platform for our electrical engineering students,' Rahman said. 'It allows them to collaborate with aerospace professionals and refine the skills that will shape their future careers.'
HPU's rocket is designed to fly exactly 4,600 feet high. A recovery system with parachutes will bring the rocket and its payload safely back to the ground. Teams are judged on altitude, flight safety, documentation and how well their payload performs.
'Our rocket took seconds to launch, but it was built on months of grit, teamwork, and relentless problem-solving,' said Gabriel Garcia-Monroy, a junior and team lead.
Out of 70 teams nationwide, HPU is the only one from Hawai'i. That means Lewa isn't just representing their school. They're representing an entire state.
NASA created the Student Launch program to support real missions like Artemis, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon and eventually reach Mars. Students work with NASA subject matter experts and use their designs to help with space exploration research.
Supported by NASA's Office of STEM Engagement and Next Gen STEM, the competition prepares students for careers in science, engineering and aerospace. After launch day, teams must study flight data and submit a Post Launch Assessment Review, just like real NASA teams.
You can click to learn more about the competition, to see the teams competing, to access NASA's YouTube channel and to learn more about HPU's electrical engineering degree program.
Whether you're watching from Honolulu or Huntsville, one thing is clear: the students at HPU are aiming high and bringing Hawai'i with them.
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'We're excited to showcase our work in Huntsville and stand alongside teams across the country,' Rahman said.
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