GoAero Purdue soars to Stage 2 in NASA aerospace design competition
A student-led club at Purdue has secured a Stage 1 victory in the prestigious NASA-sponsored GoAero competition. This accomplishment has earned the GoAero Purdue team $28,571 in funding, giving them a boost in prototyping their innovative autonomous search-and-rescue aircraft design.
Winning in the University Innovation Award category, GoAero Purdue was one of just 22 teams to win Stage 1 funding out of a total 200 competitors from across academia, industry, and research labs. The three-year competition challenges teams to push the boundaries of aerospace technology, awarding winners from a total prize pool exceeding $2 million.
The competition challenges teams to build an autonomy enabled search and rescue vehicle with a focus of productivity, adversity, and maneuvering. The competition presents more than 2 million dollars in prizes to any single team and spans three years. The timeline is divided into 3 stages, each with significant prize offerings. GoAero Purdue won $28,571 in funding by winning the NASA sponsored US University innovation award.
Matt Woongkul Lee, assistant professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is a faculty advisor for the project, along with Thiago Guimaraes and Ran Dai, both associate professors in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Lee said GoAero Purdue brings together a diverse group of students from multiple disciplines, including Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (AAE), Mechanical Engineering (ME), Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), First-Year Engineering (FYE), Computer Science (CS), Supply Chain, and Business Analytics. He said to be successful in the next phase of competition, the team is looking for additional input from students in a variety of disciplines.
“As we aim to prototype and move forward with our design, we require talent and leadership in the field of power electronics, computer vision, control systems, embedded systems, vehicle integration and testing, and other electronic disciplines,” said Lee.
In addition to covering initial prototyping costs, the prize money gives the team credibility in securing additional sponsorships and Purdue campus resources. Having come together just in the fall semester of 2024, the team’s rapid success underscores their ability to innovate at a high level.
Tanmay Singla, a senior in Computer engineering, said being part of the GoAero project has been an incredible opportunity to apply his knowledge in avionics, embedded systems, and software development to a real-world aerospace challenge.
“As the Avionics Lead and a member of the Software Team, I am working on integrating high-performance hardware like the NVIDIA Jetson and Cube Red Pro, setting up communication protocols, and implementing object detection and autonomous navigation,” said Singla. “This project has pushed me to solve complex engineering problems, collaborate across disciplines, and gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge aerospace technology—something that goes far beyond the classroom."
Valentino Cattaneo is a First Year Engineering student planning on majoring in electrical engineering. He says joining GoAero Purdue has given him invaluable experience in high-voltage power electronics.
“Given the demands of both the competition and the electric industry in aerospace, our team is working with cutting-edge electric motors and battery systems, allowing me to design and interact with these advanced power solutions,” said Cattaneo. “As part of the Avionics team, my role focuses on developing the high-power electronics essential for our multirotor’s flight, addressing challenges related to capacity, weight, and discharge requirements.”
He says the project has deepened his understanding of the electric motors and batteries required in manned aircraft, while also strengthening his ability to approach engineering challenges with a systems-level mindset.
The team now shifts its focus to the prototyping and validation stage, which ends in September 2025. The competition will culminate in 2027 with a full-scale demonstration of the aircraft, marking the final stage of this high-stakes challenge.
The team continues to seek passionate individuals eager to contribute to the next phase of development. Interested students can join the GoAero Purdue Discord to learn more.
To follow their journey and stay updated on their progress:
Website: GoAero Purdue
Instagram : vfspurdue
LinkedIn: GoAERO Purdue
Source: GoAero Purdue soars to Stage 2 in NASA aerospace design competition