BOULDER, CO, December 2, 2018 - COBRA, CU's student rocketry association, successfully launched its Copperhead rocket to an altitude of 14,583 feet yesterday at 10:50 a.m. MST. The rocket, weighing in at 55.8 pounds, lifted off on a student-built N-class solid rocket motor and broke the sound barrier to reach Mach 1.3 (916 mph). The motor burned for 5 seconds and developed a peak thrust of approximately 600 pounds.
31 students representing COBRA were on hand to assemble the rocket at the site, witness the launch, and recover it on touchdown. Video and photos of the launch, as well as information on COBRA’s previous and future activities, can be found on COBRA's website, www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/cobra.
This launch represents a major milestone in COBRA's bid to compete in the 2019 Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), in addition to its attempt to become the first student group in the country to send a payload into space. For any further questions, contact the president of the COBRA Rocketry Association, Ender Kerr, at 303-956-6736 or email COBRA@colorado.edu.
