Red Bird #19 is scheduled for testing at White Sands Missile Range(WSMR) next Friday, June 22. This marks the last big event for Rockets 2018 and the Fredericksburg STEM Academy for this season.
These are the Goddard level rockets, which are the culmination of all the skills the students have learned throughout their years in the STEM program. This marks the final senior project for those schools that participate in this level of the SystemsGo program.
As of today, June 15, the Fredericksburg Engineering Red Bird #19 rocket team is due to pick up the vehicle from SRM tomorrow, now that the welding is completed. The team still has to complete the assembly of the motor and then integrate it, as well as the, injector valve, payload, and parachutes. They will be attempting to finish the FRR tonight. In spite of the remaining tasks they are on schedule to make their launch at WSMR.
Red Bird #19 has an 8 inch diameter and is 25 feet long. The team outsourced the payload to the district IT employee and former FMS science teacher, Keith Jenkins. He created a sensor for the vehicle that will measure methane levels at the time of nose cone deployment.
When asked about the rocket’s expectations, Harrison Spisak stated, “My expectations are about 65,00 feet, but after NASA evaluated it they estimated 102,000.” Therefore that is the hopeful estimate if all goes perfectly.
Today, team members, Joey Leal and Harrison Spisak were working on the FRR, and T-1 briefing as seen in the photos below.
Here the nose cone and injection system also await integration.
Here Joey Leal checks on the rockets progress at SRM machine shop.
Harrison Spisak’s father will be hauling the rocket on his trailer to White Sands for the team.
Pictured here is this year’s Red Bird #19 Team: Back Row: Harrison Spisak, Jacob Wienecke, Evan Knapp, Bryce Erwin, Sergio Walle. Front Row: Corbin Smajstrla, Rebecca Sechrist, Pierce Vasquez, Joey Leal. Not pictured in the seniors picture was Chris Calzada.
Launches are scheduled for June 22nd and June 23rd, with a contingency day on the 24th if needed. The team will travel out to WSMR on Wednesday, June 20th, and back home again on the 23rd.
There are 5 schools scheduled to launch 6 rockets. These schools include:
- Alamo Heights
- Anahuac
- Booker T. Washington
- Brazoswood
- Fredericksburg
- Union Grove
The current launch schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday, June 2oth Travel Day
- Thursday, June 21st T-1 and Site Set up/Rocket Prep at WC- 50
- Friday, June 22rd Launch Day One (Four Rockets-Fredericksburg, Brazoswood, Booker T., Anahuac)
- Saturday, June 23rd Launch Day Two (Two Rockets–Union Grove, Alamo Heights)
- Sunday, June 24th Contingency Day/ Travel Day
- Monday, June 25th Travel Day if needed
This article is the eighth for the 2017/2018 school year in a series of periodic updates that has followed the Fredericksburg Engineering/Rocket program. This school is a participant of the SystemsGo STEM program. This series of articles is intended to support and encourage students in the program as they share their working status and accomplishments throughout the year in the program. These publications will be available for tags and re-posting.
www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. You may also email them at info@systemsgo.org .Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.
#Rockets2018 #SystemsGo #FredricksburgSTEMAcademy #Launcher01 #RideTheSky
On the Wings of Angels 