Category: NASA

Fredericksburg/SystemsGo’s STEM Program Launches More than Rockets

As Fredericksburg Rockets 2016 counts down 2 more days until launch, this now 20-year-old program boasts much more than just building and blasting rockets skyward. This Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program has bolstered the careers of many Texas young adults.

Hands on learning experience in STEM career basics like Engineering and Technology, Engineering Design and Presentation, Advanced Engineering Design and Presentation, Engineering Design and Problem Solving, and research and development, in a course setting that  promotes project application has inspired many of our Fredericksburg students, as well as students across the state of Texas to follow a career in the STEM or business fields. Rockets may have been the catalyst that helped to teach them these skills along with other fundamental work place uses including teamwork, critical thinking, analysis, testing, leadership, innovation, invention, individual accountability, and work place compatibility, but the program itself was the deciding factor that created a lasting interest for these individuals to pursue related career fields.

Many students have gone through the program in the last 20 years,  just here in Fredericksburg, let alone schools all across Texas that have been using this same model from SystemsGo.  Unfortunately there is no recorded number to tell us how many, but just at an average of 17 students per class per grade level, that is approximately 1100 students here in Fredericksburg alone. Multiply that by 43 active schools currently on the list of participants that have joined the program over the last 20 years, and that is a lot of Texas students whose lives have been impacted by the program. New Mexico schools may soon be joining this program as well so that number will increase even more as the program expands outside of Texas.

The following, is just a handful of individuals, some from the early years of the  program and some from more recent years. All of them credit the SystemsGo program for encouraging them and helping them to achieve where they are today.

Robert Deaver: FHS graduate 1998, BS  in Electrical Engineering at University of Texas at San Antonio, MS in Computer Engineering at University of Tennessee. He was in the SystemsGo program in the first two years of it beginning and worked on the  design, construction and flights of Redbird 1 and Redbird 2. He is currently an Electronics Engineer at Real Time Systems in Fredericksburg and a Team member of SystemsGo. Previously he worked at IBM and Dell.

Josh Jung: FHS graduate 1999, BS in Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering at Purdue University. He spent sophomore through senior years in the SystemsGo program working five Redbird rockets including:

  • RB-2: 8″ diam, 15′ tall, M-engine, 3 experimental recovery systems
  • RB-3: 2.5″ diam, 6.5′ tall, K-engine, Mach -1 rocket
  • RB-6: 3.5″ diam, 6′ tall, Mach-2 rocket (summer project)
  • RB-7H: 8″ diam, 20′ tall, hybrid engine, WSMR first attempt
  • RB-8H: 8″ diam, 27′ tall, hybrid engine, WSMR flight (upgraded the RB-7H)

Josh is currently the Director of the Falcon 9 Stage Test at SpaceX. He has previously been the Director of Ground Support Equipment, and Director of the Texas Test Site also at SpaceX.

Melissa Jung: FHS graduate 2001, undergraduate studies in Engineering at University of Illinois, ACOG in San Antonio, Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes Illinois. She was in the SystemsGo program her sophomore through senior years.

Melissa is currently working as an Avionics Electronics specialist on airplanes in the US Navy stationed in  Norfolk, VA. Previously she worked as a patrol officer in the Fredericksburg Police Department.

Chelsea Burow: FHS graduate 2012, currently working on her BS at Texas Tech University in Physics with a Mechanical Engineering minor . Chelsea was in the SystemsGo program her junior and senior year. Their group built and launched RB-12.

She is unsure about her plans after graduation, but is looking into places like SpaceX, NASA, and SystemsGo. She continues to help with the SystemsGo launches to current date.

Derrick Loth: FHS graduate 2012, currently working on a dual major in Business Finance and Business Management at Texas Tech University. He was in the SystemsGo program his junior and senior years. He was part of the team that built and launched RB-12.

He graduates May 2016 and plans to work for the FDIC as a Federal Bank Examiner.

Kasey Burow: FHS graduate 2013, attended Basic Training at the Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL.  She was in the SystemsGo program her sophomore through senior years.

She is currently in the US Navy stationed at the Norfolk Naval  Station in Norfolk,VA. She is an Aviation Structural Mechanic on Sea Dragon helicopters in Helmineron 12 & 14.

Austin Walters: FHS graduate 2014, attends the University of Texas at San Antonio, and is working on a dual Bachelors in  Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. He was in the first full 4 year program offered by SystemsGo at FHS. He helped build and launch RB-15.

He plans to work for one of the Aerospace companies like SpaceX after graduation.

Anissa Kneese: FHS graduate 2014, currently attending Texas A&M. She is studying Mechanical Engineering. She was  also in the first full 4 year SystemsGo program at FHS. She also helped build and launch RB-15.

She would like to work for one of the Aerospace companies after graduation. She continues to help at each year’s SystemsGo rocket launches.

While trying to find information on individuals for this piece I found the following link by Shaun Pyka done somewhere around the 2012-2013 school year. It show cases a slide show of many more past students and where they were at the time.  Some of the work information may not be current anymore, but is still gives a good idea of how much this program has impacted the lives of its students.

http://slidegur.com/doc/1128314/shaun-pyka—systemsgo

More event details will be available here in upcoming days as launch dates get closer. Daily reports featuring schedules, school names, results, pictures and some editorial content will be posted during the events.

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.

 

Day 348-Rocket Season Launches in 21 Days

Only 21 days until the sounds of high-flying rockets fill the air over Willow City, TX with the launch of Fredericksburg Rockets 2016. SystemsGo’s innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program featuring a rocketry/aeroscience curriculum is set to begin launches on May 12-15, 2016 at the Stewart Ranch in Willow City, TX.

As of March 9, the Fredericksburg launch schedule has 78 vehicles on track for testing. Twenty-nine schools are slated to participate.

The following weekend, May 21-22, 2016 launches continue in Houston, TX. The current schedule there, includes 12 schools and 27 test vehicles.

Later this summer, at White Sands Missile Range the final days of launches will commence with the Goddard level rockets, the largest in the program. The final date determined by White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), is yet to be announced.

If you are in the Willow City area on the mentioned weekend you should come out and watch. It is a fantastic sight to behold, and the energy and enthusiasm from the students is fun and contagious. Fredericksburg launches are open for public viewing and both Fredericksburg and Houston have live streaming available to view online at the time of the event.

More event details will be available here in upcoming days as events get closer. Daily reports featuring schedules, school names, results, pictures and some editorial content will be posted during the events.

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.

Day 61-Rockets at WSMR-Final Launch Day-Update

Today was the final launch day at WSMR for this year’s participating schools. Alamo Heights High School was scheduled for launches of two separate rockets today, one that they were unable to launch while at WSMR last year, and a new one from this year’s class. Union Grove was on standby for a second attempt if time permitted.

The SystemsGo team and the high schools had another early start to the day arriving at WSMR at 0400, with an eight hour window for launches. Transition times between launches were running at two hours each, which allowed all three launch attempts to be completed quickly, everything to be packed up, and the group off the range by 1800.

Alamo Heights started off with their new rocket at the pad. They had a successful fill, fire, and launch. The vehicle climaxed at 17,000 feet, and then nosed over and came down ballistic. What was recovered from it was in pieces.

Alamo Height second rocket, the return from last year took the pad next. It too had a successful fill, fire, and launch, leaving the pad behind and reaching an altitude of 34,000 feet. This rocket also came down ballistic, and they were only able to recover the motor section.

Union Grove was able to attempt a second launch. They had a successful fill, which ended in a vehicle malfunction that caused the injector system to open but no ignition. Speculation is that the Estes motor inside with the electric match did not light because of a possible wire short in the rocket.

That concluded the launch series at WSMR for this year. To recap out of six vehicles, there were two successful launches each with failed recovery systems. One more low altitude launch with in flight mechanical failure causing premature landing and continued burn out. One complete hang fire on the rail. And two scratched due to vehicle malfunctions at fill.

Congratulations to all five schools for getting this far. There are schools every year that aspire to be here, and do not make it. You have accomplished a great deal. You have all met the objective of the program which is to create a scratch built rocket, have it completed and ready for flight, and on the rail attempting launch at White Sands Missile Range. The goal of flight, may have been elusive, or perhaps achieved but still problematic, but you made it here, and each of you has something to learn from the event and some will have the chance to study, fix and try again. All of you are in an elite group of past and present students that attempted to launch a rocket at WSMR.

Tomorrow is another long day of travel as the SystemsGo team and participating schools all head back to Texas. Hopefully it will be a safe, smooth trip home without any issues.

That concludes Wednesday’s WSMR Rocket update.

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited. SystemsGo is a Texas-based STEM curriculum program.

Tune in again tomorrow for an update from Thursday’s trip home from White Sands Missile Range this week.

 

Day 60- Rockets at WSMR- Launch Day 2-Update

This morning started around 0900 on WC 50 range at WSMR. Earlier start was not available due to actual military testing scheduled for today. Two schools, Union Grove and Booker T Washington were on the schedule with a 6 hour window for completion.

The SystemsGo team spent the first hour plus, conducting readiness checks on the Nitrous tanks making sure they were switched out for full ones, making sure the Pad was completely operational, and safety testing the Fill and Fire system to be sure it continued at 100%. During this time, students evaluated their rocket and checked to be sure their vehicle was completely prepared for launch.

Between 1030 and 1100 all systems were deemed ready as was Union Grove’s rocket so it was moved to the launch rail. It went vertical around 1145 and commenced fill. As the third Nitrous tank was filling into the rocket, a small piece at the top of the Estes motor in the injection system froze, and collapsed causing Nitrous to vent. At this point the launch had to abort. The problem was easily fixed and the rocket was readied for a second attempt after Union Grove if time allowed.

It took approximately two hours to remove Union Grove’s rocket and put Booker T Washington’s rocket  on the rail, switch out Nitrous tanks, and wait on the survey teams to provide a new azimuth and angel for the rail for the new launch. During this time another thunderstorm was fast approaching. At 1420 they began fill, as the third tank was loading the Army reported lightning ten miles out. Fill was completed and the rocket was ready to fire so the teams all went to the bunk house and began countdown. Twelve seconds from launch the Army called abort due too high winds that would have affected the rocket’s projections.  After another 45 minutes to one hour, they were given the go for launch again and restarted the countdown at one minute and 30 seconds (90 seconds). Rain continued throughout this time.

The initial launch went well. The rocket ignited and left the rail. It traveled 30 to 40 feet up where the bolts at the top of the nozzle cracked, the rocket lost control, and nose-dived into the range between 180 to 200 feet from the launch rail. It continued burning on the ground, and continued storming so it was allowed to stay where it was and burn out. The Army took over monitoring it until they deemed it safe to approach.

This rocket was caring a NASA payload in the form of a container that was filled with lava rocks meant to represent moon rocks. The purpose of the payload was to test the container and evaluate how it would hold up to space flight and impact at  landing. The container was crushed and the rocks strewn all over the crash site. It was determined that the container would not hold up as part of the nose cone.

The decision to abort for the day was made because of continued heavy rain, lightning, and wind in the storm. Two hours elapsed before the storm let up and they were able to get out on the range, retrieve the rocket and rocks, and pack up for the day. This also meant that Union Grove would not get another shot at launch for today, bumping them to after Alamo Heights tomorrow time permitting.

On another outstanding note, the new Fill and Fire system has been tested and found 100% operational in sunshine or rain. Congratulations to Robert Dever, the system designer.

Wednesday’s schedule includes two vehicles for Alamo Heights High School and now a second attempt for Union Grove if the window of opportunity is still available. Range time begins at 0400 with a final eight-hour window. Launch times begin at 0800.

After launches are complete, the team will pack up all equipment and clean up the site, and the schools will load all vehicles, clean up and take down all staging areas including tents and materials and return the bunk house and  pad to pre-SystemsGo arrival WSMR standards.

Thursday all SystemsGo teams and participating schools will return home.

That concludes Tuesday’s WSMR Rocket update.

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited. SystemsGo is a Texas-based STEM curriculum program.

Tune in again tomorrow for an update from Wednesday’s final day of  launches at White Sands Missile Range this week.