Kyle Runkle, 22, was active in Purdue Space Program. (Photo: Christopher Nilsen)

Kyle Runkle, a senior in the School of Aeronautics and Aeronautics, died last weekend.

A native of Chesapeake, Va., the 22-year-old Runkle was an officer in Purdue Space Program, the student organization formerly known as Purdue Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS). Runkle was an active leader for the “Boomie Zoomie” project, a liquid-fueled rocket designed and developed by students initially for the FAR-MARS Liquid Rocket Competition. He contributed to a paper, "Student Development of a Liquid Oxygen, Liquid Methane Sounding Rocket and Launch Infrastructure," that was presented at the AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum in July 2019. 

“Our thoughts are with Kyle’s family and friends at this difficult time,” said William Crossley, J. William Uhrig and Anastasia Vournas Head of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “The School, College, and University express our condolences to those who knew and interacted with Kyle."