White Sands Missile Range – Page 17 – On the Wings of Angels

Fredericksburg, Houston Done-Next Stop White Sands Missile Range

The SystemsGo team made it home safely, around midnight Monday morning after a very wet and soggy couple of days of launching in Clute, Texas, down south of Houston. In spite of weather they were still able to accommodate the schools on the roster for the weekend. Some of them had to be moved to Sunday due to a bad storm that shut launches down early on Saturday. This same storm unfortunately soaked all the electronic equipment shutting down the Livestream permanently for the rest of the weekend.

The recovery teams spent days wading in water to recover rockets for the schools. Several storms went over the area during the two days, delaying launches and adding even more water to an already water drenched range. Even so, it was still a successful weekend for the team and the schools participating.

With Fredericksburg and Houston rocket launches complete for the 2016 season, SystemsGo and the schools with 4th year STEM classes in the program focus solely on finishing the Goddard level rockets. These much larger scale vehicles will travel to White Sands Missile Range(WSMR) the last week in June to launch. At the moment, these launches are scheduled for June 27 through July 1. That is still subject to change as the Army determines need, all the way up to the day they leave. Preliminary estimates look good though that they may stay as currently planned. As the time moves closer I will post updates to let everyone be aware of the exact dates. Of course, there is no public access or live feeds from this launch because it is on a military base and is heavily guarded and controlled.

I will continue to provide information on the program in upcoming weeks. Watch for upcoming articles with interviews with past students from the program and how SystemsGo and the STEM program helped shape and influence their lives.

Event details will also continue to be available here. As schools and schedules finalize I will provide a list of those schools traveling to WSMR. The week of the launches I will provide information as made available to me from team members on site as to how launches have gone for those schools shooting on that particular day. Pictures are not allowed on the range, but some of teams getting ready to leave for the range with their vehicles might be available. If anything is available and passed on, I will post it for your viewing pleasure.

The STEM program benefits our children’s future. Sponsors and volunteers are always needed. Check into how you can support the program in your area.

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.

Rockets 2016-Sunday’s Report-End of Fredericksburg Launches

Today was a light day for launches. Only two schools and four rockets. All launched and three were recovered. The fourth a Transonic, once again sailed off into oblivion. Unfortunately that is just the nature of the beast, but hopefully where ever it lands someone will return it. Shoots never deployed on it as far as we were able to tell, so it may be a lawn dart in someone’s pasture and may be too unrecognizable for them to know what they have and where to return it. We can only hope that is not the case. The goal is always to return the vehicle to the students because they learn from what happens after launch and landing as well as from building and firing the rocket.

I would like to congratulate SystemsGo on another successful launch weekend at Stewart’s Hillview Ranch for Rockets 2016. While this weekend’s launches are completed, there are still launches in Houston next weekend and White Sands Missile Range(WSMR), later this summer.

Launches here at Fredericksburg Rockets went amazingly smooth this year. We held a tight schedule this year. With the exception of only a few, if a rocket made it to the pad, and onto a rail, it launched the first try. They were racking them on and putting them up in phenomenal order. Everyone involved actually had down time in the evenings after launches were done this year. That was a nice and welcomed thing.

This last evening we even had time to go home rest and then come back together for a little fun and visiting outside of the site. Thank you to Scott Netherland for providing that time.

I would also like to say how thankful I am to this program. I have had two daughters go through it and continue on to schooling and careers related to what they learned from SystemsGo and the high school program.

Secondly I would like to thank SystemsGo for having us as volunteers for the program each year.It is so wonderful to be counted as a valued part of this group and it’s operations. I am really happy to be part of such a fantastic education based program for our youth.

As I mentioned earlier, the Houston launches are next weekend, May 21 and 22. I will try to have updates on how those are going, as information is available. Also the Livestream will be operational from there as well. Phil Houseal will be there doing PR and conducting interviews with people involved there. The Livestream link is still the same and is provided below.

http://livestream.com/accounts/3165037/events/5379604

Good luck to those schools launching in Houston. I will post schedules for those on those days. One thing to note is that the Houston launches are not open to viewing by the public. The facility is not large enough to provide parking and spectator area for this event, so schools and students involved only.

The Goddard level launches are still coming up hopefully in late June. There is a tentative date, but I won’t be posting that until closer to time since they can still be subject to change at the Army’s need. I will keep everyone posted on that as well as information is available. Good luck to all those schools and safe travels when you go there. For more information as usual check their website at www.systemsgo.org .

The following is a link to the album of pictures from today’s launch. Have a look you and your school rocket just might be in there.

https://www.facebook.com/ginger.burow/media_set?set=a.1139283419426121.1073741865.100000334203350&type=3&pnref=story

Event details will be available here each day of the event. Daily reports featuring schedules, school names, results, pictures and some editorial content will also be posted.

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.

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.

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.

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

Day 59-Rockets at WSMR -Launch Day 1-Update

Monday was another long day for the SystemsGo team, students from Marble Falls and Anahuac High Schools, and WSMR officials as they commenced the first day of tests. Start time on the range at 0400 was with no electricity due to lightning strikes the evening before, but this was quickly corrected.

The Fill and Fire System completed set up with the addition of the Comm Readout Displays which allow the bunk house and the pad to see a digital readout of the temperature, pressure, and weight for the vehicle on the pad during the launch preparation sequences. The full system was tested and minor glitches addressed which brought it to 100% working and readiness. Throughout the day the system was reported to work great and continued at 100%.

Marble Falls was originally scheduled to test a 0830, instead it made it to the pad at around 1200. The vehicle passed its final fill and fire tests and went vertical around 1230. The survey team set the angel at 85 degrees with an azimuth of 355. Six Nitrous bottles were loaded into the tank. At this point it almost over pressured and began to release venting liquid instead of gas. At 175 lbs and 900 PSI the vehicle was determined ready for launch. Switches were good, and flame was good, but the injector failed to open and the rocket went into a still fire burn on the pad, continuing to burn for four minutes, until the bottom began leaking the nitrous.

Army rules forbid any contact during this time and for 30 minutes after the fire burned out. At that time the Oxidizer crew was allowed to approach and evaluate the vehicle. The rocket was too hot too touch delaying removal of it from the pad for another hour.

Minor damages were reported to the launch rail and trailer, but nothing that would affect or delay any future launches at this time. Instead it was just enough to give Captain Garrett something to do over the summer again.

At approximately 1400 Anahuac’s vehicle was brought to the pad and cleared for launch. At fill, one and a half bottles were loaded into the tank at which time it began leaking out from a vehicle malfunction, and Anahuac had to be scratched.

This concluded the tests for the day, setting today’s successful launch rate at zero. Any school that actually makes it this far is still a success for the simple fact that they attempted a launch of a vehicle of this size. They still have post analysis to do and challenges to over come to prevent these outcomes in the future.

Mother nature was reported to have attended the tests today as well and thrown her own challenges into the range for the crew to overcome, as well as find some humor in once they had passed. First a large dirt devil spawned right on top of the range and attempted to steal one of the large staging tents, causing a commotion as individuals scrambled after and reset it. Later, two birds were fighting on a transformer out by the pad, when a loud pop resounded, right after which one bird fell to the ground while the other made its escape and the power at the pad went down. Luckily they were using generators so this did not affect the pad and they continued as it was being fixed.

The crew spent fourteen hours at the range today, with an 8 hour launch window. Tomorrow they begin their day at 0900 with a shortened 6 hour launch window due to some other military tests scheduled for that morning early. Union Grove High School will be first followed by Booker T Washington High School. Both rockets are reported to be at 100% and waiting.

That concludes Monday’s WSMR Rocket update.

Tune in again tomorrow for an update from Tuesday and a schedule of Wednesday’s launches at White Sands Missile Range this week.

Day 58-Rockets at WSMR Setup Day

SystemsGo had a productive first day today in spite of a long night on the road getting in around 0200 and a short night of sleep. They were at the range bright and early Sunday morning to set up for the launches and finish and evaluate rockets.

The SystemsGo team split into groups. Captain Garrett and Steve Burow headed up the group at the pad setting up the launch rail. Robert Dever and Randy Kuhlmann set up the Fill and Fire system and proceeded with on-site testing. Brett Williams and Chelsea Burow rolled out all the cabling and connected the electrical systems and after which they helped Andrew Matthes who was overseeing the student groups with final checks and problem solving on rockets.

The first four schools for this Goddard level program were there with their rockets ready for leak and readiness tests. These tests are standard operating procedure used to create safeguards and ensure a successful launch as long as there are no internal parameters that cause the rocket to fail. No rocket will launch without passing these tests. An initial fail does not mean that the rocket is scratched for launch, only that the school has a short window of time in which to correct the issue so that it may be retested, pass and proceed to launch. Time constraints do not allow for continuous testing so the vehicle must pass quickly or be pulled from the launch sequence.

Marble Falls first test showed a minor problem, they were able to fix the issue and passed their second test. They are ready to launch and are scheduled as the first school for tomorrow morning at 0830.

Anahuac is scheduled to launch second tomorrow, but they are currently still working to resolve an issue shown in their test.

Union Grove is scheduled as first launch on Tuesday morning. They passed all their leak and readiness tests and are on standby for launch from 1200 to 1600 Monday in the event that Anahuac is not ready, or extra time allows.

Booker T Washington passed their leak test. They are scheduled as the second launch on Tuesday and are currently still finishing some last minute adjustments.

Set up and systems tests also went well. The new Fill and Fire system tested at 100% minus the Comm Readout Displays because a thunderstorm and lightning in the area prevented them from setting up that part of the system. This display allows mission control and the pad to communicate by sight through a constantly evolving digital readout in order to better coordinate launch sequences without the delay of radio communications, allowing for more safety and efficiency during the Fill and Fire, and count down stages. This last component will be set up early Monday morning and will complete its readiness check before the first launch, putting the full system at 100%.

A few members of the SystemsGo team got drenched in the fast approaching storm while they were down at the pad trying to put Marble Falls’ rocket on the rail so that it would be ready for launch Monday morning. Instead it was covered and left to be raised on the rail early Monday morning.

The Army has allotted an eight-hour window for testing tomorrow. The day begins at 0400 at the range for the SystemsGo team to accomplish these last necessities left from set up today. Then at 0600 the survey team shows up provide angel and azimuth settings for the launches to ensure they perform in a set area of the range for safety and recovery. Then if everything is in perfect order, Marble Falls will test their rocket launching at 0830. Anahuac or Union Grove will follow as quickly in succession as readiness allows.

Tune in again tomorrow for an update from Monday and a schedule of Tuesday’s launches at White Sands Missile Range this week.

Day 57-Rockets on the Road to WSMR

The SystemsGo team had a rough start to their day. They were scheduled to leave Fredericksburg at 10:00 this morning, but due to the final touches and tests on the new Fill and Fire system taking much longer than originally thought, the team didn’t leave until 4:20 this afternoon. This system has been ready for some time, but engineers are always thinking of ways to further improve their product to ensure that it is always better than first envisioned. That coupled with all the new safeguards and the new Comm Readout Display on a brand new system meant that final touches recently decided upon caused thoroughness and perfection to be a bit time extensive, but most definitely worth the time and delay. It should prove to be an awesome system.

It is going to be a really long night tonight as well as a long day setting up out at the range tomorrow. This group will be running on very little sleep before they have to hit the road to the range in the morning. Hopefully set up will go really well tomorrow so they can call it an early evening and catch up on the sleep they are losing tonight.

By the time they finally got on the road, the two engineers, Robert and Randy that were working on the Fill and Fire had already spent about 32 hours straight working. Add that to the rest of the group driving all night and it just might be an exhausted and definitely all business and no nonsense group to deal with for more reasons than just to get the job done. I really feel for the group and wish them safe travels and a productive trip and day tomorrow.

They were leaving Fort Stockton shortly before 9:00 pm after a short break for food. They seem to be making good time for three pick-up trucks pulling a box trailer of equipment, a trailer with the large wire wheels and three rockets, and another trailer with the launch rail, and launch equipment.

Tomorrow’s schedule is mostly setup and prep for the first launches to begin on Monday. Five schools are scheduled to launch at White Sands this week. They include, Marble Falls High School, Anahuac High School, Union Grove High School, Booker T Washington High School, and Alamo Heights High School.

I will post updates to things in WSMR as they are available this week, hopefully daily.

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.

Tune again tomorrow for a schedule of Monday’s launches at White Sands Missile Range this week.

12:51: The group just left El Paso after another short stop. They are still making good time.

2:00 AM The group arrived safely in Alamogordo and is catching what sleep they can before an early morning start.

Day 56 – Rockets at White Sands Missile Range

While the more public focus of SystemsGo Rockets 2015, the launches of the Tsiolkovsky (1 pound/1 mile), and Oberth (Transonic) rockets may have come to a close for this year, the program has not finished for the year. The SystemsGo Rocket program now transitions to Goddard level rockets. These rockets and their subsequent launches at WSMR (White Sands Missile Range) are the culmination of all the skills the students have learned throughout their years in the STEM program. This is their final senior project for those schools that participate in this level of the SystemsGo program.

By now these students have spent a minimum of 2 years, some three, and as the program expands with new STEM requirements in education, as many as four years will have been spent following and learning in this system of education. They have spent countless hours both in and out of class.

The year is divided by semester into two project bases. The first semester deals with early design phases including payload, performance, and vehicle configuration. Once the payload and an initial vehicle design concept have been developed the student project team begins developing a flight profile. This is used to predict what will happen during testing, including vehicle stresses and flight dynamics. By semester’s end, a test vehicle configuration should be fairly realized.

Semester two is the culmination of everything the students have learned in the first semester, and the continuation of using life and work skills to manufacture their test vehicle, perform a test and analyze their test vehicle findings. Success for this project is determined by two things.

1. Was the rocket finished by the scheduled date and delivered to the pad for testing?

2. How was the rocket’s flight performance in relation to its design parameters?

This translates to the students manufacturing a rocket from scratch; usually weighing in at between 250 to 450 lbs; to reach high altitudes and Mach 3 to Mach 4 velocities. This project is what all the previous years’ effort have been building up.

At this point, in order to achieve their goal, one large working team, divides into several smaller teams with designated goals for each part of design and development for the vehicles’ creation, propulsion, and testing. These component teams include:

Nose cone

Avionics/payload

Oxidizer tank

Injection

Fuel Grain

Nozzle

Engine case/forward skirt/fins

Each team first creates a workable timeline and then begins researching all necessities and questions concerning their team’s component. Questions they encounter may include function, simplicity, mass, etc. Students present their findings in the form of mathematical calculations for their design and these are reviewed and critiqued by aerospace professionals. Students must find their own solutions to any problems presented to them by these professionals. Once a mathematical argument and a design drawing have been created, the team starts another research phase into the materials to build their component. In this phase students must be able to show critical thinking skills while studying different materials and their costs, safety, ease with which to work and whether they can be ordered in within time constraints. After the design is developed and reviewed and the correct materials determined, a Critical Design Review (CDR) is presented to the other teams for acceptance. If approved the team then begins development of the component, acquiring materials and enlisting any help they may need from local industry. If it is declined then the team redesigns it until the component is accepted by the entire group. If the original time line is kept each team’s component will be finished by the deadline. To ensure this each team must undergo a Flight Readiness Review (FRR) showing that their project is 100% ready. Once all components have demonstrated a 100% readiness, then the complete vehicle can be constructed into a full standing rocket. SystemsGo calls this their “‘all-up’ configuration.” At this point, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) must be developed and adhered to in order to test their rocket. To do this, students must be in communication with the launch facility, create support teams, and prepare necessary paperwork. Final preparations for the launch also include students working together to make sure the components are all prepped and ready, or working in mission control, meteorology, safety and other areas needed at the launch.

Next the rocket is tested and hopefully undergoes a successful launch. After this a Post Mission Analysis is done to evaluate the complete performance of the vehicle. This marks the end of the of the program.

The knowledge base the students acquire through this program include: as quoted from the SystemsGo website: design and development, critical thinking, fabrication/machining, problem solving, teamwork, communication, analysis/application, documentation, presentation, research, time/project management, budgets/purchasing, public relations, and computer skills in RockSim, Excel, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

These rockets which usually stand between 20 to 25 feet and range from 8 to 10 inches in diameter are an amazing sight to behold if for no other reason than that they are built by high school students, not professional aerospace engineers. They are built by the future of these industries. Many of these students go on to become engineers, machinists, scientists, physicists, mathematicians, and countless other business professionals. This STEM based program teaches them skills they can apply to life and use to continue into their future learning and job markets. If you have a student in the STEM program at your school who is excited about what they are doing, take interest, get involved and don’t miss the chance to see what they is happening first hand whenever possible. You are watching the future in something we can all be proud. These students are doing truly amazing things.

This article was intended to be a synopsis of the program in hopes that others may take interest and pay attention to what these students are achieving, so that more schools might implement the program for their students. It is well worth the time an effort involved. What better way to learn than to have the students apply what they are learning first hand and achieve a workable goal. The teacher is the instructor, guide, mentor, and timeline manager, but the project’s success or failure is in the students’ hands. They are the project managers that do all that is needed to see that this vehicle makes it to the pad and then into the sky. If your student makes it to this level, don’t miss out, you want to see this monster fly. It is a proud moment you won’t forget, and even more importantly, neither will your student. Their future begins here, don’t miss out on the chance to support their dreams.

I hope I have done the program justice, as I tried to describe it in a way that might be understood by all and draw some interest. My husband Steve, said I should just say, “Kids make really bad a$$ rockets and launch them at White Sands Missile Range.”

Well he has a point and that is the just of it, but it is really a whole lot more than that!

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.

Tune again tomorrow for a schedule of the upcoming launches at White Sands Missile Range this week, and hopefully some daily high lights from the group.

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