A 12-foot high-power rocket constructed by students in Brownsville successfully launched Saturday morning to an altitude of 8,300 feet from a site near College Station. The flight marked the completion of Project Vortex, an initiative developed by the South Texas Astronomical Society.
The launch occurred approximately three years after the concept was first proposed. Phil Donaus, a board member and project sponsor who helped guide the organization during its early planning stages, described the event as the culmination of that long-term effort. The specific program officially began last October.
Project Vortex consists of 15 participants from across the Rio Grande Valley divided into four teams focused on structure, avionics, operations and recovery, and business. Sabian Cardenas, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering senior at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and team advisor, noted that construction began after the group was selected in November.
The vehicle is an L-3 kit rocket designed to meet strict Federal Aviation Administration standards. Team members stated the project cost roughly $5,000, funded through sponsorships from H-E-B and the Brownsville Economic Development Corporation. The design utilizes technology similar to that used by NASA and SpaceX.
During a showcase at the Brownsville Public Library Main Branch on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, the team demonstrated how the rocket uses black powder charges and an M-1800 FJPS Black Max engine from Aerotech for propulsion. The design includes parachutes intended to deploy after reaching maximum altitude, allowing the nose cone and lower stages to descend gently.
