Disclaimer: This article is a part of The Lewd, a biannual satirical project put together by The Lode staff, typically published the week before finals. The article is purely for comedic purposes, and the opinions presented in these articles do not reflect The Lode’s values.
With the introduction of the new Aerospace Engineering major, focusing on space technology, the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department is excited to announce a new technical building being added to the MTU master plan of 2035 between the MEEM and Chem Sci, focusing on rocket technology. The building will house the new aerospace department with several new innovative labs sponsored by NASA and Mint Mobile. According to the new building director, Edgar Mitchell, “This building will act as rocket fuel to propel Tech to the forefront of space innovation.”
The building is scheduled to start construction in early May of 2027 once the aerospace program gets into full thrust. The impressive 51-story building, reaching up ~612 feet into the air, will officially take the title of the tallest building in the Upper Peninsula. The first 11 stories will contain the new labs with a large vertical wind tunnel running through the center of the building, lined with windows allowing students to watch the ongoing experiments. Access points to the Chem Sci and MEEM will be available on the 7th floor of each building. On top of the building will be a rocket launch pad, sponsored by NASA and Tech Alumni, reaching up the remaining 40 stories. As part of the new aerospace curriculum, students will have the opportunity to build their rockets and, with the help of one of the new Space Enterprises, will launch satellites into space. Larger rockets will have access to utilize the whole building as a launch pad, with the center wind tunnel also acting as the vehicle stabilizer system. This program will help set up an array of satellites that will improve the cell service here in the Keweenaw, introducing Mint Mobile as the most reliable carrier in the UP.
This construction will solidify MTU as having the tallest building in the UP again, after losing the title to Harbor Tower in Escanaba in 1968. This has been a passion for students here at Tech, who have wanted to reclaim the title since it was lost decades ago. “I wondered if we were just going to be complacent being second best in the Upper Peninsula, but now that this building was announced, it reinvigorates my school spirit and reinforces why I chose Tech,” said third-year construction management student Valentina Tereshkova. An award ceremony, featuring M&M, will take place once construction is complete to commemorate the UP’s new tallest building, with the building scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2029, with the first classes taking place that fall. For more information on the new construction, please visit the MTU campus master plan.
