It all started with, soda cans, duct tape, hot glue and a dream. It was a big dream, too: build a liquid-fueled rocket and fly it to space.

And I had no idea how I would do it.

But, I knew I could not do it alone. So, I founded Bluebird.

It has been a long road getting to where we are now. But as Bluebird has grown from a small group of my friends to a more concrete organization, and I reflect upon the time I have left leading the program before I leave for college, its meaning to me has grown to beyond a simple technological endeavor.

Indeed, as the project has grown, what has surprised me the most is people's excitement about what we do. I suddenly found people who otherwise had no interest in technology, let alone spaceflight, eagerly excited about our hardware, with some of them even deciding to join our team.

Now, as we move closer to our first flight tests, I am constantly motivated by the inspiration this dream gives not only to us, but also to everyone else who supports what we do. And I am confident that, when I leave for college, our amazing team will continue to turn this dream into reality.

By showing that space is more than just a dream, we want to show the future that space is truly accessible for everyone.

Dream. Fly. Inspire. That is what Bluebird is about.

-Andrew Barrantes