The word "LAUNCHPAD" written in outlined capital letters with a stylistic yellow paint splatter background.
A group of people at an outdoor event. A young girl with a black cap and a rocket-shaped prop is talking to a man, while other children and adults are nearby. There are tents and banners in the background.

WHAT IS LAUNCHPAD?

Launchpad is a student-led engineering initiative housed within the Programs branch of STARS.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to expand access to engineering education for youth across the Rio Grande Valley by offering mentorship, technical training, and hands-on project-based learning.

Three young men work together on a project at a table outdoors, with one standing and two seated, surrounded by scientific equipment, in a courtyard with brick arches and a tree.

Community Focused

  • No experience required

  • No membership fees; open application

  • Community presence through tabling at public events and school visits

  • Online accessibility: recorded lectures, open documentation

Project Vortex will be the first high school student rocketry team of this scale in the Rio Grande Valley.

PROJECT VORTEX

A long cylindrical rocket with a pointed tip, featuring a brown and gold color scheme with black accents and text that reads 'VORTEX POWERED BY STARSOCIETY'.

COTS L3 Solid Rocket

Student-led build, and recovery

Target: 10,000 ft flight

Total impulse: 10,663 N-sec (2,397 lb-sec)

Peak Thrust: 595 lbs

Project Vortex is a student-led rocketry initiative by the Launchpad Branch of the South Texas Astronomical Society.

This program empowers local high school students to design, build, and launch a high-powered rocket using a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) kit, with a target altitude of 10,000 feet.

As the first accessible high-power rocketry project in the Rio Grande Valley, Project Vortex offers students hands-on experience in aerospace engineering, supported by mentorship and technical training.

AT FULL SCALE

FALL
(AUG-NOV)

- ADVERTISEMENT PERIOD, APPLICATIONS OPEN

- WORKSHOPS ON HIGH POWER ROCKETRY

- TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS

LAUNCH WINDOW CLOSED

WINTER
(DEC-FEB)

- KIT INSTRUCTION BEGINS

- GUEST SPEAKER SERIES

- L0. L1 LAUNCH

- TEST READINESS REVIEW DELIVERABLE

LAUNCH WINDOW OPEN,
WEATHER STANDBY

SPRING
(APR-JUNE)

- BUILD PERIOD CONT.

- TEST READINESS FINAL CONFIRMATION

- FINAL DOCUMENTATION DELIVERABLE

- LAUNCH

LAUNCH WINDOW OPEN

Meet the Team

  • Smiling woman with shoulder-length black hair, wearing a blue top, standing among green plants in a greenhouse or botanical setting.

    Julio Perez

    STUDENT CO-LEAD

  • Young man with short black hair, smiling, wearing a blue suit and light blue shirt, standing outside near a brick building with greenery.

    Rayyan farooqui

    STUDENT CO-LEAD

  • A young man in a suit and tie standing outdoors with trees and buildings in the background.

    Sabian Cardenas

    ENGINEERING MENTOR

  • Professional portrait of a man with glasses, long black hair, and facial hair, wearing a black suit, white shirt, and red tie, against a plain white background.

    Hector Salinas

    ENGINEERING MENTOR

  • Portrait of a woman with wavy blonde hair and a nose piercing, wearing a red top and a necklace, smiling in a wooden outdoor setting.

    Jaqueline Peña

    CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Meet the 2025 - 2026 cohort

  • Yaretzi Castaneda

    Avionics Co-Lead

  • A young man with dark, messy hair and light skin standing in front of a plain, light-colored wall. He is wearing a teal T-shirt with white text that says "Chicago Illinois." The image captures his face, shoulders, and part of his arms.

    Leo Marsili

    Avionics Co-Lead

  • A young man with dark hair, wearing a black shirt with white trim and vertical text, standing against a plain white wall.

    Joaquin Rosas

    Avionics Team

  • Young man wearing glasses, a blue and beige cap with '2000 The Millennium' written on it, and a black and gray striped quarter-zip sweater, standing against a plain light gray background.

    Jarluen Lieja

    Avionics Team

  • A person with short curly black hair, wearing glasses and a beige top, standing against a plain white wall.

    Christopher Padron

    Structures Co-Lead

  • A young man smiling with white teeth, wearing a gray patterned shirt, standing against a plain off-white wall.

    Juan Garza

    Structures Co-Lead

  • A young man with dark hair and light skin smiling, wearing a teal sports jersey with multiple sponsor logos, standing against a plain white wall.

    Samuel Salinas

    Structures Team

  • Close-up of a girl with long dark hair wearing a black T-shirt with a red and white dragon design, standing against a plain white wall.

    Yuri Alaniz

    Structures Team

  • Close-up photo of a young man with dark hair, glasses, and braces, wearing a navy blue T-shirt, standing against a plain white wall.

    Massimiliano Marin-Mera

    Operations & Recovery Co-Lead

  • A young person with short, dark, slightly tousled hair and light skin, smiling and wearing a black t-shirt with small white arrow patterns, standing against a plain white wall.

    Jacob Rodriguez

    Operations & Recovery Co-Lead

  • Portrait of a young man in a gray suit and navy shirt standing in front of a plain white wall.

    Aldo Araujo

    Operations & Recovery Team

  • A young woman with long brown hair, blue eyes, and light skin, smiling in front of a plain light-colored wall. She is wearing a brown, textured, sleeveless dress with thin straps, a gold chain necklace with a heart-shaped pendant, and small earrings.

    Paulina Melgarejo

    Operations & Recovery Team

  • A woman with long hair styled with dark roots and blonde highlights, smiling and wearing a white, sleeveless, textured top.

    Kayla Cisneros

    Business & Outreach Co-Lead

  • A young woman with long dark hair smiling, wearing a black Adidas sports shirt with red and gold striped bands on the sleeves, standing against a plain white wall.

    Sofia Garcia

    Business & Outreach Co-Lead

APPLICATION

Applications for the 2025-2026 Program are currently closed. The 2026-2027 Program application will open in Fall 2026

For more information, please contact programs@starsocietyrgv.org

APPLY NOW
Four young people standing with a person dressed in a hot dog costume with a Sonic hat, at an indoor event under a blue canopy that says 'Home of the Original Taco Pizza.' There are balloons in the background and a table with a black cloth.
Group of young people smiling and standing behind a table at an outdoor science competition, with a small rocket on display and colorful signs on a fence.

SPONSORSHIP TIERS

  • We gratefully accept donations of materials, services, equipment, or expertise. Recognition is based on estimated value and aligned with our three sponsorship tiers.

    All in-kind sponsors receive:

    • Logo placement on all Project Vortex flight hardware that uses the donated product or service

    • Logo featured on the website and technical report

    • Logo on official website and technical report

    • Social media shout-out (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)

    • Name displayed on community sponsor banner at launch events and STEM fairs

    • Recognition in classroom visit slides (inspiring future engineers!)

    • Optional feature in “Sponsor Spotlight” social posts

    • Small logo placed on rocket airframe

    • Invitation to in-person launch event + student showcase

    • Thank you message in final student video

    • Recognition in local press releases or event programs

    • Featured on sponsor wall during outreach exhibitions

    • Exclusive access to pre-release technical milestones and student Q&A session

    • Official project partner

    • Prominent logo on rocket body, team shirts, and outreach banners

    • Option to host a guest lecture or STEM workshop with our team

    • Logo placement on all printed promotional materials

    • Featured partner highlight in final project video and public presentations

    • Legacy listing on future Vortex builds and STARS Launchpad page

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