A 6:15 a.m. call to move out for ABC-1 started the day for all SystemsGo team and schools. The mission, to accomplish all preparations for tomorrow’s launches. All personnel arrived at thegare at 6:30 a.m. and did ID checks and then waited out a mission that was in progress on the range. At 7:47 a.m we left the gate headed out the range. We arrived around 8:15 a.m. and quickly began preparations.
Randy Kuhlmann and Ginger Burow set up the electronics trailer and the fill and fire system. Steve Burow set up the pad, rails and wiring for the launch rails. Students from the teams helped erect the rails before finishing work on their vehicles.
Rebekah Hyatt and Andrew Matthes coordinated all the final checks for each of the rockets, while all the students worked through their Flight Readiness Reviews.
For the fourth year, Texas A&M college students from Hamilton, Caleb Lengefeld, Kash Kneuper, along with recent Hamilton graduates, Cate Hooper volunteered to help on range again. We also had recent grads from Fredericksburg, Gus Wagner, Jack Pedragon, Reece Harris, Wyatt Westbrook, and Will Bryla. Additionally we gained three young man from Anahuac/Hardin Jefferson’s current launch team, Ben Riddle, Christian Gillikan, and Brayden McShan.
They all helped set up the pad, the rails, and load the gas tank truck. For launches tomorrow they will again assist as needed at the pad and help Andrew with the Nitrous and Gox bottles. All have said they were really enjoying seeing the program in action and helping with it. Caleb and Kash are veterans, but all of the new crew members have jumped in fully and helped things run smoothly and quickly today. They have also expressed interest in returning in subsequent years to help.
Schools Participating were Alamo Heights, Union Grove, Anahuac/Hardin Jefferson, and Brazoswood. Alamo Heights and Union Grove were fit with charges and loaded onto the rails for launch tomorrow morning. Brazoswood will load the rail tomorrow as the third launch. They have been ready and waiting today. Unfortunately, Anahuac/Hardin Jefferson developed a leak during FRR and pressure checks today that could not be contained so that had to scrub their launch for tomorrow. They will be coming out to watch the launches from Tula G with the other schools.
A line of showers popped up just northwest of Alamogordo around 7:30 p.m. this evening and made for a nice lightening show before dissapating before reaching us here at the hotel.
Our crew stuck to our tight schedule today and our caravan of vehicles plus WSMR personnel vehicles left the test site by 3:30 headed in for the evening. Food and showers were top priorities upon returning to the hotels.We all headed to Applebee’s for dinner at 6:00 and were there until almost 8:00. Steve and I went to Walmart again after dinner for a few more provisions.
Launch order for Saturday is as follows:
- Union Grove
- Alamo Heights
- Brazoswood
Saturday’s schedule is the following:
- Saturday, June 25th
- Launch Day – All three Rockets
- Depart for WSMR by 5:00 a.m. for 5:30 a.m. arrival at the Tula Gate and 6:30 a.m. on site.
- Projected launch schedule:
- T1 8:00 am. -Union Grove
- T2 10:00 am. – Alamo Heights
- T3 1:00 pm. -Brazoswood
- 4:00 pm. – Range Time Ends
SystemsGo now has two launch rails and both will be in operation tomorrow. A rocket will be loaded onto each rail and then tested in sequence with only time out for safety. The launch team will be required to evacuate during each launch; and then return to swap out gas and electrical connections between the rails.
Launches are to commence at 8:00 am. Saturday morning. All SystemsGo personnel and schools will be headed out to the range at 5:00 am.
After the first two launches, WSMR personnel will attempt to locate and retrieve the rockets for the students while the other rocket is loaded onto the rails. Mission complete will be at 4:00 pm. and all personnel must leave the range. If all three launch on time then everyone will be asked to help tear down and pack up equipment before leaving.
WSMR personnell have a Military Ball tomorrow evening so all missions must be complete early so that they can attend.
Realistically, this is a very tight launch sequence with little to no room for errors. As we know, errors can and do occasionally happen and can cause severe delays in the launch schedule and hinder time availability.
Best of luck to all schools so that they may have a successful launch tomorrow.
Event details will continue to be available here. I will provide information each day as to how the schedule and other event details went for that day and how launches transpired. Pictures are not allowed on the range, so very few will be available. If anything is available I will post it for your viewing pleasure. Tomorrow should wrap up our launches for t his year.
If we are lucky and things go perfect and we leave the range early their may be dune sledding in tomorrow evening’s future. And Sunday we will all be heading home.
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.
#Rockets2025 #SystemsGo #RideTheSky #Texasrockettrail #WSMRRocketLaunch2025 #EyesOnThe Sky #EyesToTheSkies
On the Wings of Angels 