White Sands Missile Range has been hosting the SystemsGo Rocket Program for over 20 years, and the tradition continues for the 2022 season. Changes have been made over the years, including moving from the original launch site which was West Center 50 (WC50) to alternate range ABC1. This change came about after the COVID shut down of 2020. Back logged government contracts took precedence for the larger range, necessitating the program’s relocation for continued support at the base.
The move to the smaller range also required the altitude cap for the rockets to be adjusted. The smaller site meant less than the 20-mile radius the program previously had available for these test vehicles to travel and stay within their parameters. The original height cap was 100,000 feet. The new cap instituted last year is 50,000 feet. ABC-1 does not have a large bunker, so only essential launch personnel stay on site, and the SG staff evacuate out five miles for launches. Students and teachers are taken to a secure location known as Tula G, which is further down range where they watch the launches on screen inside a designated facility. Due to this change, parents are no longer allowed to come. In years past parents watched from the theater at Mission Control. Unfortunately, volunteer staffing of base personnel for this is no longer available.
Stage 1 and 2 will take place on the range this year. In years past with the exception of last year, this was normal progression. Last year the Alamogordo High School hosted this part of the event. Stage 1 and 2 will take place while the SG team sets up the pad, launch rails, fill and fire system and electronics trailers. Rockets need to be complete by the end of the day on Friday as there will be very little latitude between T times to complete work on the vehicles. We are to be Mission Complete by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Sunday is a contingency day, but preferably it should not be no more than a site clean up day if needed that morning . Provided that we accomplish this early the remainder of the day’s activities will be decided at that time.
Due to higher prices for accommodations, the SG team and schools will stay at a hotel on the base. Since we will be approaching from the Las Cruces side of the range instead of Tula Rosa, travel time will increase as speeds are slower, most are two lane roads, and range police are strict. Please check with your teachers if you need information about our accommodations, as I do not think it is appropriate to post it here since it is not outside the base. For those who are still staying off base, be sure to keep up with schedules and times as they group will need to move together with an escort through the base.
Launches are scheduled for June 25th with a contingency/cleanup day for June 26th. The team will travel out to WSMR on Wednesday, June 23rd, and back home again on the 27th.
There are four schools scheduled to launch four rockets. These include:
- Alamo Heights
- Brazoswood
- Fredericksburg
- Union Grove
The current launch schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, June 23rd
- Travel Day
- Friday, June 24th
- Site Set up ABC-1 8:00- 8:30 a.m.
- Depart for site from Main gate by 7:00 a.m. start time.
- Leave the site with Fredericksburg and Union Grove on the rails.
- Saturday, June 25th
- Launch Day (All Four Rockets, if possible, at 2-hour intervals.)
- Depart from Main gate by 5:00 a.m. for 6:30 a.m. arrival on site.
- Projected launch schedule:
- T1 8:00 a.m. -Union Grove
- T2 10:00 a.m. -Fredericksburg
- T3 12:00 p.m. -Alamo Heights
- T4 2:00 p.m. – Brazoswood
- 5:00 p.m. – Range Time Ends
- Sunday, June 26th
- Contingency Launch Day/Cleanup/Fun Day/ Travel (What happens depends with launches Saturday.)
- Monday, June 27th
- Travel Day
The Goddard level rockets, which are the capstones of the SystemsGo program and the culmination of all the skills the students have learned throughout their years in the STEM program. This marks the final senior project for the schools that participate in for the SystemsGo program.
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 benefited.
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On the Wings of Angels 