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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers launched a small rocket as part of Rocket University. The goal was to test its systems and to verify that it performed as designed. The event was supported by the Spaceport Rocketry Association, a 40-year-old organization that provides launch demonstrations and educational programs. As part of Rocket University, the engineers are given an opportunity to work a fast-track project to develop skills in developing spacecraft systems of the future. As NASA plans for future spaceflight programs to low-Earth orbit and beyond, teams of engineers at Kennedy are gaining experience in designing and flying launch vehicle systems on a small scale. Four teams of five to eight members from Kennedy are designing rockets complete with avionics and recovery systems. Launch operations require coordination with federal agencies, just as they would with rockets launched in support of a NASA mission. Photo credit: NASA_Jim Grossmann