Instagram story viewer> @swamplaunch> Posts

Swamp Launch Rocket Team

@swamplaunch

3.3K

followers

261

following

The University of Florida’s Premiere Aerospace Design Team

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Introducing project Terragator.

Just over a month ago our main vehicle, Earthquake, took to the skies at the 2026 NASA Student Launch Challenge.
Earthquake is the result of 12 months of design and experimentation with our sub-scale rocket, Aftershock.
This project’s success comes only as a result of the extremely dedicated leadership and members that made it happen, so please join us in honoring their hard work.
We’re proud to represent the University of Florida’s as the premier aerospace design team, and cannot wait to show you all we have in store for the future.
Swipe to discover all of project Terragator’s details: from the modular aft to avionics bay, from the airbrake to the payload.
#rocketry #aerospace #engineering #uf #gators #nasa by @swamplaunch

1k

2

4 months ago

Harder goals, better designs, faster rockets, stronger engineers.

This year, Swamp Launch has two goals: win the 30,000 ft staged category at IREC, the world’s largest collegiate rocket engineering competition, and send ATLAS past 150,000 ft. Every record we break, rocket we build and test we run starts with our members’ passion for rocketry. To the hundreds of curious engineers who packed our General Body and Education Meetings: thank you. You’re the reason we can champion hands-on education and make aerospace accessible to all. See you in the shop.

Swamplaunch.org

Sponsors:

𝗘𝗫𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Program Sponsor
⚫ MAE — @ufmae
────────────────
𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Mission Sponsor
🟣 Relativity — @relativityspace
────────────────
𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Partner
🔵 Sandia Labs — @sandialabs
🔵 Diab
🔵 Igus — @igus_inc
🔵 L3 — @l3harristech
────────────────
𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Supporter
🔷 MISUMI — @misumiusa
🔷 Monster Energy — @monsterenergy
🔷 Autodesk — @autodesk
🔷 Ansys — @ansys_inc
────────────────
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Generous Donor
🟢 AeroTech
🟢 Featherweight Altimeters
🟢 Hexcel — @hexcelcorp
🟢 Toray
🟢 Altium — @altium_official
🟢 Living the Dream Outfitters — @ltdoutfitters
🟢 Wildman Rocketry — @wildman_rocketry

#SwampLaunch #UF #UFEngineering #GatorEngineering #GatorNation #AerospaceEngineering #Rocketry #IREC #UniversityOfFlorida #UFWertheim #Space #Engineering taken in "The Swamp" University of Florida by @swamplaunch

187

5

19 days ago

Join the team that leaves sound behind.

GBM #1 — Wednesday, September 9th | 7:00–8:00 PM | TURLINGTON L011

Join the University of Florida’s Premier Rocketry Team this Wednesday. All majors and skill levels are welcome. Whether you’re interested in mechanical systems, manufacturing, software, analysis, or any other subset of engineering, there’s a place for you at Swamp Launch. We’re looking for people willing to learn, work hard, and help build something incredible. From shattering the sound barrier multiple times over to breaking various records, this year we aim to set the standard for student rocketry. DM us with any questions.

Swamplaunch.org

Sponsors:

𝗘𝗫𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Program Sponsor
⚫ MAE — @ufmae
_____________________

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Mission Sponsor
🟣 Relativity — @relativityspace
_____________________

𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Partner
🔵 Ansys — @ansys_inc
🔵 Diab
_____________________

𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Supporter
🔷 Autodesk — @autodesk
🔷 Monster Energy — @monsterenergy
_____________________

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 — Generous Donor
🟢 AeroTech
🟢 Featherweight Altimeters
🟢 Hexcel — @hexcelcorp
🟢 Toray
🟢 Altium — @altium_official
🟢 Living the Dream Outfitters — @ltdoutfitters

#ufmae #rocketry #engineering taken in University of Florida by @swamplaunch

186

7

2 months ago

Cultivate the Engineer. by @swamplaunch

7

0

2 months ago

Elevate the Institution. by @swamplaunch

29

0

2 months ago

Pierce the Kármán Line. by @swamplaunch

9

0

2 months ago

🚀 We are proud to celebrate Swamp Launch Rocket Team’s accomplishments this year at the NASA USLI competition and share some recent highlights with the MAE community.

Swipe through for a look at the people, technology, and milestones behind Project Terragator.

The Swamp Launch rocket team successfully completed its 2025–2026 launch initiative: “Project Terragator.” In continuing to set the standard for engineering excellence at the University of Florida, the team showcased their technical prowess by:

• Winning the NASA Project Review Award for the second time, illustrating a mastery in technical clarity
• Placing fifth overall in the competition
• Deploying the “Swamp Scooper” payload
• Implementing a functional airbrake system using GNC algorithms to control apogee
• Utilizing a modular aft to contain the solid rocket motor used on the vehicle

Congratulations to Swamp Launch on an outstanding year of innovation, teamwork, and engineering excellence.

Swamp Launch would like to thank all its dedicated executive board, leads, and members for their continued hard work to push the boundaries of student rocketry. Collage of team members and rockets. by @swamplaunch

374

8

4 months ago

🚀 Last week, Swamp Launch hosted a rocket reveal event where they debuted their competition rockets for the season.

The team will compete in two competitions: the Nasa-hosted University Student Launch Initiative (USLI), and the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC). The latter is the largest rocketry competition in the world.

For USLI, the team was challenged to design a payload capable of autonomously collecting and analyzing soil samples upon rocket landing. Named "Swamp Scooper", the design was realized entirely by the team using the machining facilities in MAE-C. ⚙️

For IREC, the team is preparing to move into the 30k Multi-Stage rocket category with their rocket "Orpheus & Eurydice". Projected to fly up to 14,000 feet at speeds of Mach 1.4, this rocket is projected to be the fastest and highest-flying in UF history. It will carry a cubesat payload containing a bacteria - Bacillus subtilis - with the goal of exploring the effect of launch conditions on gene expression and metabolic processes. This is a novel interdisciplinary challenge for the team, which placed 21st out of 159 teams last year, despite only having participated in IREC three times prior. 🏆

#UFMAE #gatorengineering #NASA #IREC #USLI #rocketscience Swamp Launch team posing with their rockets and doing the Gator chomp. by @swamplaunch

261

1

5 months ago

Congratulations to our USLI team for their final flight this year at the competition launch on April 24 in Huntsville, Alabama! This launch represents a culmination of the entire year’s work for the team and it resulted in beautiful launch of their rocket with the payload and vehicle not suffering any major damages. Once again, congratulations to the team!💙🚀🧡 by @swamplaunch

249

0

6 months ago

Also on April 11, our IREC team headed to Samson, Alabama also to test their payload system. The IREC team is working with a microbiological payload system that serves to test how different bacteria react under the forces of gravity during the ascent and descent. During this launch they tested the rocket’s structure and electronics, but plan to launch soon with the bacteria inside. by @swamplaunch

110

2

6 months ago

Another Double Launch Day in the books! On April 11, both our USLI and IREC teams head to Samson, Alabama with each team prepared to launch their first rocket. USLI attended for their Payload Demonstration Flight (PDF) and left with successful results. Now the USLI team prepares for their competition launch in Huntsville, Alabama on April 25. by @swamplaunch

159

0

6 months ago

Join us on Thursday, April 16th at 2PM in the Wertheim Lobby as we reveal this year’s rocket! We hope to see everyone there🚀☄️⭐️ by @swamplaunch

65

0

6 months ago