Today was a productive first day at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) for the SystemsGo and the participating schools.
This year the group was invited to begin their engagement at WSMR with the viewing of a live Missile Test. The group watched the test which consisted of three missiles from the Missile Park on White Sands Missile Range at 8:00 a.m.
This viewing meant an early morning for the group rising at 4:00 a.m. in order to have the convoy at the Las Cruces Gate by 6:45 a.m. so that all vehicles could be checked through the gate in time to watch the test. Early mornings are a pretty normal occurance for the time here at WSMR. Tomorrow will be no exception.
After the Missile Test viewing, the group was lead to the Post Theater. They were officially welcomed to WSMR and participated in the T-1 Briefing, Safety and Security procedures briefing, Public Affairs briefing, as well as other important informational briefings. During this time each school also gave their Student Rocket Presentations encompassing the details about and expectations of their vehicles.It was an educational and informative session.
WSMR personnel made introductions so all involved would know who they are and who to contact for help from the base. Scott Netherland introduced the SystemsGo team and specified their roles with the organization. We finished around 10:30 and headed out to West Center 50 launch site(WC50).
After arrival at WC-50 at around 11:30 a.m., the group worked hard to complete full project equipment set up, after which, they performed a communications check, field readiness and systems checks, all rockets went through final pressure checks, and simulated launch countdown was enacted.
Fredericksburg’s Rocket was loaded onto the rail and left for first launch tomorrow morning.
The group left the range for the day at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow will be another early morning for all of us. Teams launching and SystemsGo personnel will be headed out to WC50 at 5:00 a.m. to meet WSMR personnel at the Tula gate by 6:00 a.m.
Those going to watch the launches from Mission Control will be heading out at 6:00 a.m. to meet our rep in the gravel lot outside the main gate near Las Cruces, by 7:00 a.m.
Tomorrow’s launch schedule is as follows:
8:00 a.m. Fredericksburg High School
10:00 a.m. Brazoswood High School
12:00 a.m. Booker T. Washington High School 14:00 a.m. Anahuac High School
If it is a perfect day and all goes well with no exceptions with each launch, then the tests should be complete by 15:00 p.m.
Realistically, this is a very tight launch sequence with little to no room for errors. If we do not get all four launches tomorrow, then they will carry over into Saturday time slots creating up to four launches on Saturday. Last year SystemsGo was able to hold this schedule. Hopefully tomorrow will go as well.
Sunday is a contingency day if needed in which four more vehicles could launch, otherwise we will travel home that day.
Best of luck to all schools so that they may have a successful launch tomorrow and that all schedules hold true.
Here is the current preview of the launches scheduled for Saturday. Tomorrow’s blog will have a final schedule for the day based on Friday’s test success.
Saturday’s launch order: Union Grove, Alamo Heights, any retests.
Event details will continue to be available here. I will provide more information each morning as to how the schedule and other event details will progress for that day and how launches went for the schools testing that day. Pictures are not allowed on the range, but some pictures of teams getting ready to leave for the range with their vehicles might be available. If anything is available I will post it for your viewing pleasure.
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.
On the Wings of Angels 