Cal Poly Pomona’s rocketry team has come in fifth in a nationwide competition sponsored by NASA, placing it among schools that include Vanderbilt and Notre Dame.

As part of the Student Launch Initiative, the team spent months designing and building a 10-foot-tall rocket meant to streak nearly two miles into the atmosphere at 500 miles per hour. From sewing nylon parachutes to machining specialized mechanisms, they did everything.

Not only did the rocket need to fly, it also had to attain a specified altitude. Points would be deducted for either coming up short or overshooting. Once it reached that height, it needed to deploy a scientific payload that was designed to detect obstacles on the ground.

The students were also judged on their quality of their team presentation and their written proposals.

For more information, visit the rocketry team website or the NASA Student Launch competition site.