Tag: Alamo Heights High School

Sunday Rockets Headed to White Sands-Day 1-Report and Monday Early Information

The SystemsGo team rolled out of Fredericksburg at just before 9:00 a.m. this morning to head out to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico and arrived at Alamogordo around 5:30 this evening. Travel went well, and two schools, Alamo Heights and Booker T. Washington met us there.

Tomorrow is an informational and set up day. SystemsGo personnel and only student and teacher participants from the schools head out at 6:00 a.m. for T-1 briefing  and afterwards setup at West Center 50 launch site.

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 the previous 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.

Team photo includes from left to right, Ginger Burow, Scott Netherland, Randy Kuhlmann, Steve Burow, Brian Heffner, Gene Garrett, Andrew Matthes ,Rebecca Hyatt, and Josh Hampton. Not available for this picture, Chelsea Burow.

2 More Days- Here’s What’s Happening for WSMR

The SystemsGo team and schools leave for New Mexico to launch rockets at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) on Sunday, June 26. That is two days from today. The list and schedules have been finalized and packing is underway.

The schedule will proceed as follows:

  • Sunday will be their travel day to Alamogordo, NM to the hotel.
  • Monday morning will be T-1 briefing
  • Monday afternoon they will travel to West Center 50 Range and do site set up and rocket prep
  • Tuesday launch order: Union Grove, Alamo Heights (1), Alamo Heights(2)
  • Wednesday launch order: Anahuac, Booker T. Washington (1), Booker T. Washington (2)
  • Thursday launch order: Fredericksburg, Make up #1, Make up #2
  • Friday will be travel back home for each group.
  • If for any reason tests run late on Tuesday and Fredericksburg is delayed then they will shift to first on Wednesday and subsequent launches will shift as needed.

The final list of schools participating in this year’s WSMR tests is:

  • Alamo Heights High School
  • Anahuac High School
  • Booker T. Washington High School
  • Fredericksburg High School
  • Union Grove High School

Parents be sure your child and yourselves if you are already on the approved list with SystemsGo, and attending, has proper identification with them. State driver’s license, federal pass port, or state id card are required for access to the base. Also be sure they have medical insurance information with them in case of an emergency.

Please be advised that WSMR is an Army base and does not allow spectators in to view these launches. Only the students, personnel, and parents who have been previously approved through SystmsGo and added to the list may enter the base with the group. Please do not drive to White Sands and attempt to enter on your own, or expect to do so with the group, because you will be turned away.

Event details will continue to be available here. I will provide information as made available to me from team members on site as to how launches have gone for those schools testing on that particular 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 and passed on, 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.

WSMR Report-17 More Days

Today marks 17 days until the SystemsGo team and schools head to New Mexico to launch rockets at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). Already the schedule has changed since this time last week. Luckily the dates haven’t changed only brought the return date to Friday now instead of Saturday.

The classified tests WSMR had scheduled for Wednesday have been canceled allowing launches to continue on Wednesday instead of having a down day on that date. Sorry folks, that means no scheduled sight-seeing after all, but at least you will be home with more of your July 4th weekend in tact for fun.

I will not be posting the actual launch schedule for the schools until next week once we are positive there are no more changes and all schools slated to go are on board for sure. Fredericksburg is still feverishly working on the completion of their rocket. At this point no other schools on the list have given indication that any critical problems could cause them to abort.

Parents if you will be joining your child on this trip, and if they have a vehicle to launch, then you should be, then please get your identifying information in to your child’s teacher immediately. Only those on the list with information in ahead of time will be allowed on the base to observe the launches. Do not miss out on this it is definitely a trip in which you should participate.

Event details will continue to be available here. As schools and schedules finalize I will provide an updated list of  those schools traveling to WSMR and the launch schedule. 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 testing on that particular day. Pictures are not allowed on the range, but maybe some pictures 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.

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.

WSMR Rocket Launches Fast Approaching

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 the final senior project for those schools that participate in this level of the SystemsGo program.

Launches are scheduled for June 27 through July 1. The group will travel out to WSMR on Sunday, June 26, and back home again on Saturday, July 2.

These launches have been anywhere from June to mid August in past years, with multiple rescheduling happening all the way up to time to leave because of Army necessity. Actually having a fairly concrete date this year means students have to be on their game and get their vehicles completed on a tight schedule. According to Fredericksburg’s STEM teacher, Andrew Matthes, their group has a deadline of today, Friday, June 10 to have their rocket completed and ready to travel. Other schools involved most likely have similar dead lines.

As of Wednesday, June 1, the class was reported by Mr. Matthes to be on schedule with final modifications being made in all areas, including the following:

  • The after section for the motor is at Rode’s Welding for attachment to the 10′ long Nitrous tank
  • Avionics is installing the payload in the forward skirt
  • Propulsion has had a successful pour of their HTPB fuel grain, and is now working on the fuel canister
  • Nose cone is completing the shoulder part which sticks into the airframe of the rocket
  • Fins are in the attachment stage of the aft motor section

Notice in the above list, that Rode’s Welding is mentioned. Part of the skills learned in this program is when and where to contract other professionals to finish a component. Most of the components of this vehicle are finished by the students, but when there is an area that requires a more professional skill base, the students have to know how to draw out specific design models and calculations and present them to a welder, machinist or other entity so that they are created according to the design they have drawn out for the completed vehicle.

There are 5 schools scheduled to launch 6 for sure, possibly 7 rockets. These schools include:

  • Alamo Heights (2)
  • Anahuac (1)
  • Booker T. Washington (1 for sure, possibly 2)
  • Fredericksburg (1)
  • Union Grove (1)

This year is unique in that the Army has some classified tests scheduled that involve the range (West Center 50), SystemsGo uses to launch. Therefore, instead of launching straight through and then leaving, there will be a break in the schedule on Wednesday, when the group will not be allowed access to the range. SystemsGo is looking into activities for the group to do on that open day.

When I checked in with Mr. Matthes and his class on their project status, this was the enthusiastic response they delivered.

Jacob Eckhardt, “We are cutting it close but we’re working on getting it done, full force.”

Mr. Matthes added, “with reduced workforce.”

This is a common malady of the program for the senior group. After school lets out it is  hard to keep them focused, but there is always a dedicated contingency of the team that usually stays on point and gets the vehicle completed and off to WSMR.  This is just a hazard of the launches being a summer trip after graduation. Even with this, 95% of the time, the project makes it to White Sands.

Today is 23 days out until the group leaves for WSMR. Watch this blog in upcoming weeks for more information and a launch schedule to be posted.

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-Friday Day 2 Report & Saturday Schedule

Friday was a great day for rockets. SystemsGo loaded 25 rockets onto the rails and  launched all 25 rockets.  Recovery teams were able to bring in 18 from today’s launches and  recover a few still out from yesterday’s launches too. Transonics amassed most of those still missing in the field.

It was an amazingly smooth day, the schedule said 8:30 to 5:00 and all launches were done by about 4:30.  Everyone involved appeared to be having a great time whether working, volunteering, participating as a school (student or teacher), or spectating.

KXAN news joined us today to conduct interviews with team members and get a feel for what  SystemsGo does as well as all the students have to accomplish in order to build and launch these rockets. The report was supposed to air on the 6:00 edition as long as everything went well on the news crews timeline to get it edited and out on the air. It is wonderful to see attention being drawn to what these students are accomplishing, and the futures being built here by SystemsGo and their affiliate high schools.

Here is the link to the KXAN news report:

http://kxan.com/2016/05/13/it-is-rocket-science-students-launch-homemade-rockets-into-the-sky/

Below is the launch schedule for tomorrow, Saturday. There are 7 schools launching a total of 24 rockets tomorrow.

 

Saturday, May 14, 2016
School
Name		 # 1st Level
Tsiolkovsky		 # 2nd Level
Oberth
Alamo Heights High School
Colin Lang		 2
Buinger CTE Academy
Michael Skrzynski		 1 2
Fort Stockton High School
Marcos Mendoza		 3
Henrietta High School
Doug Underwood		 1 1
Northstar High School
Byron Appelt		 1 2
Northwest High School
Elizabeth Mitias		 4 1
University High School
Dennis Oubre		 4 2
Schools Launching  7
Totals 14 10
May 14th Total Rockets 24

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.1138090906212039.1073741863.100000334203350&type=3&pnref=story

Good luck to all the schools launching on Saturday. I will update the blog after we complete our day again tomorrow. Here is the link to the live stream again.

http://livestream.com/accounts/3165037/events/5379517

Please remember that although there is no charge for the event, and these launches are open to public viewing, parking and seating is limited due to safety requirements. For this reason, SystemsGo has a provided a link for you to pre-order tickets for those in your party. This also provides SystemsGo with a way to monitor the number of people in attendance each year. This is in no way meant to discourage your attendance, but is instead to help them provide a great experience for students and spectators, while doing all possible to monitor safety issues and attendance numbers at any one time during the launches.

https://www.greateventseats.com/events.php?lID=92

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.

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.

 

 

 

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 10-Fredericksburg Rockets Launches Day 3, Birthdays and Weddings

I am going to begin with a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to MISS KASEY MARIE BUROW! Folks she is 20 today. We sand to her voicemail this morning and then texted her throughout the day in between her rides on rollercoasters with her cousin, Melissa Jung, and some of their friends. She claimed to be having a great time. I am so glad for that since she is so far away in the US Navy in Norfolk. We will be seeing her soon though for which we are looking forward.

Today was an interesting day. As luck would have it, we started the day once again with a low ceiling, drizzle, and fog. Because of that we didn’t start launches until around noon. Then at first, it was a race to get them up while we had a window in the clouds, but eventually that did burn off and rockets were racking up and going up on a pretty good schedule. We had a rare occurrence today to start off, something that just doesn’t happen too often, happened, and it sure made Captain Garrett a happy man. Stage 1 and Stage 2 had all the rockets show up early and most were set and ready and they were all done and moved to Stage 3 to await flight, by 8:30 this morning.

Therefore, we had quite an audience already by early in the day. There was a tent city of spectators set up behind the fence to see their schools launch. Rockets were filling all the tables in the big tent in the spectator area and well as the Mission Control tent, as soon as they could  be approved by Stage 3 and cleared for flight. It was actually a neat sight. It added to the excitement of the day, and the high anticipation as we all waited for that window in the clouds to open up so launches could commence.

The first rack of 5 took a second attempt on the first three, but eventually 4 left the rails, with the 5th, the Whataburger rocket, returning to Mission Control for a small repair before returning again on the third rack set of the day.

We collected our first recovery for the day which landed about 150 yards in front of us, turned it in, grabbed or lunches and returned to our spot with them just barely in time for the second round, This round sent nothing our way, so we went to help look for several that had landed in the north to northwest areas of the range. We dug one out and then hunted until 3:20, when we realized we had to stop for the day in order to make Miss Brooke Patteson’s wedding, and she was such a gorgeous bride.. She is now Mrs. Brooke Hodges. Congratulations to her and Chris.

We did get side tracked on our way back because we finally located the rocket we had been searching for, and couldn’t possible leave it behind now. It was killing us to leave with less than half the rockets deployed, and as we were about to leave Mission Control, the Whataburger rocket took flight  and wouldn’t you know it, landed literally right  by our position had we still been there. I am sure, Team 3 collected that one for us after the rack was done. Guess we will find out for sure tomorrow.

The wedding was at Kairos Celebration Barn. It was beautiful and very short. The ceremony was conducted  by Scott Hoffman, and he shared a short Aggie story about commitment, read the love passage from 1 Corinthians 13, had them do their vows and the rings, recited the Lord’s prayer, pronounce them married, had them kiss and then sent them inside to supper. No extra music, no extra anything else, just short, sweet, and done and we were inside celebrating with them. It was all very nice, the  food was great, and then it was over and by 9:50 we were headed home again.

By the way, Chelsea, the rocket pad expert cleaned up quite beautifully for her walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid. She will be all shorts and rockets by tomorrow again, though.

Congratulations to all the schools that launched today, they included: Alamo Heights High School, Fort Stockton High School,  Henrietta High School, McGregor High School, Northwest High School, and Union Grove High School. There are 9 launches scheduled for the last day tomorrow. I can’t believe Rockets 2015 will be coming to a close already. It has really gone by quickly. The launch schedule for tomorrow is listed below. Remember you can also find this schedule and the link for the Livestream at www.systemsgo.org .

School
Name		 # 1st Level
Tsiolkovsky		 # 2nd Level
Oberth
Davis High School
Hasan Johnson		 1
Granger High School
Chaston Kubacak		 1
Harlandale High School
Ann Thomas		 1
Manor High School
Will Davis		 3
Sidney Lanier High School
James Rankin		 1 1
Victoria West High School
Cheryl Clark		 1
Schools Launching  6
Totals 8 1
May 17th Total Rockets 9

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.

Good evening all. See you at the rocket launches tomorrow.