family – On the Wings of Angels

SystemsGo Rockets 2025 at White Sands Missile Range This Weekend

White Sands Missile Range is once again hosting the SystemsGo Rocket Program for its season end launches. This year four schools will be traveling to New Mexico to test their rockets at White Sands Missile Range, they include:

Alamo Heights HS

Brazoswood HS

Union Grove HS

Anahuac/Hardin Jefferson HS

June 13th through June 15th are the dates for this year’s WSMR launch. The SystemsGo team and schools will be traveling to Alamogordo, New Mexico for lodging on June 12th. Early on the 13th, preparations at the site will be made with the goal of launching all four rockets Saturday. The 15th, Sunday, is our contingency day, but the hope is that it will not be needed. Sunday is Father’s Day and WSMR personnel would prefer not to work and we would love to be on the road home.

ABC1 is our scheduled range again this year. ABC-1 does not have a large bunker, so only essential launch personnel stay on site, and the SG staff evacuate out five miles for launches. Students and teachers are taken to a secure location known as Tula G, which is further down range where they watch the launches on screen inside a designated facility. Due to this no extra personnel are permitted to attend these launches. All those in attendance please remember to have your state issued ID on your person at all times. WSMR will be checking them.

There will be tents on the range, the same as last year. Rockets need to be complete by the end of the day on Friday. FRR will be conducted on the 11th an 12th. Pressure checks will be retested on site the 13th to be sure the trip out to range has not compromised anything.

At this time I do not have exact information on schedules on range for Friday or Saturday. Hopefully I will be able to provide that in Thursday’s update edition.

If Mission is Complete on Saturday evening, then evening activities may include some White Sands National Park dune sledding.

SystemsGo team members will be residing at the Quality Inn and Suites in Alamogordo this year.

The Goddard level rockets, which are the capstones of the SystemsGo program and the culmination of all the skills the students have learned throughout their years in the STEM program. This marks the final senior project for the schools that participate in for the SystemsGo program.

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 benefited.

#Rockets2025 #SystemsGo #Launcher01 #RideTheSky #Texasrockettrail #EyesOnTheSkies #TexasToNewMexicoRocketTrail #RideTheSky2025

Who Are You Today?

Who Are You Today?

Who are you today?
Is the person I know there?
Or have you gone away?

Right know you still know my name,
But whether you love me or have me
Depends on whether I play along with your mental games!

They say I should not argue or disagree,
And never contradict,
But the mean things you say I know cannot be.

You are living in delusions and bad dreams,
And you believe all you see there,
Even at the expense of tearing your family apart it seems.

You claim things are stolen, carried away,
And even when for you we find them;
You cannot possibly be wrong so, “that is not them,” you say!

Some things you even tell us where to look,
And when we bring them to you,
You are surprised and shook.

Some days you are almost you.
Other days you are angry and mean.
Your character changes by whose talking with you.

You scream, yell, beat your fists,
Play the victim, the martyr, the guilt and pity cards.
Your words and personality are a constant twist.

You’ve become so ugly and mean,
Your loved ones cringe at your name on their phone,
Because of the stress the conversation will glean.

We try to help you any way that we can,
But the more we do,
The more the flames of your delusions fan.

We watch as you steadily decline,
In both body and mind,
Knowing the help, you need you will never agree to find.

I see only glimpses of the person I once knew.
If you could truly see and hear yourself,
You would know this is not you!

You used to worry so much about what people would think.
Now the things you say and do,
Would have made the real you, in shame shrink!

You talk about and try to end your life.
You say you wish you have never married, never had kids.
Your words drip with hate and we do our best to take it in strife.

Who are you today?
Will you talk to me, love me, hug me,
Or bang your fists, scream, cry and send me away?

Who are you today?
Will I know you at all except by your face?
And will your words be more things I wish you wouldn’t say?

Who are you today?
Will we get a tiny glimpse at least for a moment,
Of our loved one today?

Who are you today?
We beg you to get help before it’s too late.
And this person stays, and the real you goes completely away.

Who are you today?
We know it will happen eventually,
But if you just let us get you help, it wouldn’t have to be today.

Ginger Burow
11/14/24

Alzheimer’s and Dementia are rude and cruel diseases, not only to the individual that has it, but also to everyone they love and that loves them. It turns them into people they would never aspire to be, causing them to act in ways that would mortify them if they were in their right minds.

As a family member it calls into question everything you thought you knew about them and yourself. You constantly have to remind yourself, they don’t know what they are doing or saying. But just like what they are doing and saying they believe is real when it isn’t, it is also very real to you that they are treating you this way and talking to you in this manner, and accusing your of atrocious things. It is very hard to accept that the person that is supposed to love you, can be the meanest, ugliest person to you. That they can speak to you with a voice dripping with disdain, venom and hate all because you didn’t agree with something they said. They can be so angry an unbelieving that they need medical help, that they hate you, wish you were never born, want to kill themselves, and sometimes you.

Your soul aches and pities them wanting to help, but they refuse. Your mind and heart reel from their words, actions and voice unable to believe that they really don’t know what they are doing and saying, but knowing there is no other answer, because the real person would be distraught if they could really see their own behavior.

Love is the answer, and you try to keep that going and in mind, but some days it is very hard to remember this person loved you. Try your best to remember who they were instead of who they are now. Take a moment alone to cry when you need to, and realize you may need it more than you allow. That is where distance has become a friend. Just for a few days when things are super ugly you minimize contact just until the current rage calms a bit. Then you get a few days of someone close to who they should be. Oh for those few days!

Faith and God are the strongholds, along with family. Staying strong as a family even though this loved one may be trying desperately to tear you apart in order to bolster their delusional beliefs is a major key. Support one another and your dementia patient as best as you can. You will need each other as this progresses. Sometimes sharing your experiences about the situation is the best way to release stress and gain a hold in the moment.

Pray without ceasing. Pray for comfort, strength, peace and love. But above all pray for help through God’s wisdom as to how to proceed and confront each situation as it comes. Pray for the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf, guiding your thoughts, words and deeds while working with this person and your involved family. Pray for peace and joy in each day amidst the storms and the power to recognize the blessings that are still there.

Lastly, take a walk. Look to God’s glorious and beautiful world to show you there is still wonder and beauty to be had. Then fill your soul with it every chance you get, especially in between the gathering storms, so that His inner peace might lead you. This is appropriate for all life’s trials.

White Sands Missile Range SystemsGo Rocket Program 2024

White Sands Missile Range is once again hosting the SystemsGo Rocket Program again for its season end launches. This year three schools will be traveling to New Mexico to test their rockets at White Sands Missile Range, they include: Alamo Heights HS, Brazoswood HS, and Union Grove HS.

June 14th through June 16th are the dates for this year’s WSMR launch. The SystemsGo team and schools will be traveling to Alamogordo, New Mexico for lodging on June 13th. Early on the 14th, preparations at the site will be made with the goal of launching all three rockets Saturday. The 16th, Sunday, is our contingency day, but the hope is that it will not be needed. Sunday is Father’s Day and WSMR personnel would prefer not to work and we would love to be on the road home.

We continue to launch from range ABC1. This range required the altitude cap for the rockets to be adjusted from the original height cap which was 100,000 feet. The current cap instituted three years ago is 50,000 feet. ABC-1 does not have a large bunker, so only essential launch personnel stay on site, and the SG staff evacuate out five miles for launches. Students and teachers are taken to a secure location known as Tula G, which is further down range where they watch the launches on screen inside a designated facility.

There will be tents on the range, the same as last year. Rockets need to be complete by the end of the day on Friday.

The T-1schedule on Saturday will be very tight. Range time begins at 7:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm. The range is Hot all day for us, which translates to as soon as we can reset and be ready to launch again, WSMR is ready to assist. This should make keeping the schedule and sending all three rockets skyward a viable task for Saturday.

If Mission is Complete on Saturday evening, then evening activities may include some White Sands National Park dune sledding.

SystemsGo team members will be residing at the Quality Inn and Suites in Alamogordo this year.

There are three schools scheduled to launch their rockets. These include:

Alamo Heights
Brazoswood
Union Grove

The current launch schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 13th
1. Travel Day
2. Pressure Checks and FRRs that evening at the hotels.
3. Security checks of all Form 5000s
Friday, June 14th
1. Site Set up ABC-1 7:00
2. Depart for site from hotel–TBA
3. Complete all rockets.
4. 3:00 p.m. Leave the site with Alamo Heights and Brazoswood on the rails.
Saturday, June 15th
1. Launch Day (Three Rockets, barring any schedule changes by WSMR.)
2. Depart from hotel for arrival on site–TBA
3. Projected launch schedule:
  - T1 8:00 a.m.
  - T2 9:00 a.m.
  - T3 11:00 a.m.
Airspace Ends – 4:00 p.m.
Pack site
Evening Activities as time allows.
Sunday, June 16th
1. Travel Day-Contingency Day only if absolutely needed. WSMR does not want to work on Father’s Day.
Monday, June 17th
1. Travel Day-Hopefully we are already home.

#Rockets2024 #SystemsGo #Launcher01 #RideTheSky #Texasrockettrail #EyesOnTheSkies #TexasToNewMexicoRocketTrail #RideTheSky2024

2023 Marks 25 Years White Sands Missile Range Hosts Student Rockets

2023 is a year of milestones for the Fredericksburg based STEM rocket program beginning with White Sands Missile Range hosting the SystemsGo Rocket Program again for its season end launches. This event marks the 25th year the STEM based program has brought high school seniors to the Army Base to test the program’s highest-level rockets, known as Goddard. It would have marked 25 consecutive years, but COVID took out 2020 putting the numbers behind by a year. The program took its first rocket from Fredericksburg High School to WSMR in 1999. The nonprofit organization supporting this STEM program in schools officially began in June of 2003, making this 2023 season its 20^th Anniversary as well. This year three schools will be traveling to New Mexico to test their rockets at White Sands Missile Range, they include: Alamo Heights HS, Brazoswood HS and Union Grove HS.

June 23rd through June 25th are the dates for this year’s WSMR launch. The SystemsGo team and schools will be traveling to Alamogordo, New Mexico for lodging on June 22nd. Early on the 23rd, preparations at the site will be made with the goal of launching all three rockets Saturday afternoon. The 25th is our contingency day, but it is only a contingency for completing cleanup at the site, or if WSMR must delay our launches. It will not be a day to recycle rockets that fail.

We continue to launch from range ABC1. This range required the altitude cap for the rockets to be adjusted from the 20-mile radius the program previously had available for these test vehicles to travel and stay within their parameters. The original height cap was 100,000 feet. The current cap instituted two years ago is 50,000 feet. ABC-1 does not have a large bunker, so only essential launch personnel stay on site, and the SG staff evacuate out five miles for launches. Students and teachers are taken to a secure location known as Tula G, which is further down range where they watch the launches on screen inside a designated facility. Parents are no longer allowed to come, since the theater at Mission Control is no longer the viewing area. Volunteer staffing of base personnel for this has still not resumed.

Schools are asked to arrive early on the 22^nd in Alamogordo to do pressure checks with as little time spent on configuration as possible. At least two vehicles need to have this stage complete before heading down range on the 23^rd. Preferably very little time will be spent on assembly on the 23^rd. Some weight, CG, and FFR verification can be done if needed downrange the 23^rd. There will be tents on the range, the same as last year. Rockets need to be complete by the end of the day on Friday.

The first T time on Saturday will be 8:00 a.m. After that the range is Hot all day for us, which translates to as soon as we can reset and be ready to launch again, WSMR is ready to assist. This should make keeping the schedule and sending all three rockets skyward a viable task for Saturday.

WSMR personnel, including Test Center Commander, Colonel Shawanta Smart, and Range Operator, Lori Leyva, will be on site during the launches. WSMR will be providing lunch for all participants. Colonel Smart began her command in August of 2021, making this her second rocket season with the program. She stopped in last year for a brief visit, but plans to be onsite to see more of how the program operates. Ms. Leyva will be retiring after this year. Her service in coordinating SystemsGo and WSMR in launch efforts has been extremely beneficial to the program over the years she has been with us. SystemsGo will be making special presentations during the lunch break.

Saturday is a contingency day, but preferably it should be no more than a site cleanup day if needed that morning. Provided that we accomplish this early the remainder of the day’s activities will be decided at that time.

SystemsGo team members will be residing at the Quality Inn and Suites in Alamogordo this year.

There are three schools scheduled to launch four rockets. These include:

Union Grove
Alamo Heights
Brazoswood

The current launch schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 22nd
1. Travel Day
2. Pressure Checks and FRRs that evening at the hotels.
3. Security checks of all Form 5000s
Friday, June 23rd
1. Site Set up ABC-1 9:00- 9:30 a.m.
2. Depart for site from hotel by 7:45 a.m.
3. Complete all rockets.
4. Leave the site with Union Grove and Alamo Heights on the rails.
Saturday, June 24th
1. Launch Day (Three Rockets, barring any schedule changes by WSMR.)
2. Depart from hotel by 4:45 a.m. for 6:00 a.m. arrival on site.
3. Projected launch schedule:
  - T1 8:00 a.m. –
  - T2
  - T3
  - Break for Lunch 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  - Range Time Ends – unspecified currently.
Sunday, June 25th
1. Contingency Day/Cleanup/Fun Day/ Travel (To be determined.)
Monday, June 26th
1. Travel Day

The schedule as seen above is a preliminary estimate, and though accurate as stated by Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt, at the moment, is subject to changes and adjustments as needed once the entire group is in New Mexico.

#Rockets2023 #SystemsGo #Launcher01 #RideTheSky #Texasrockettrail #EyesOnTheSkies #TexasToNewMexicoRocketTrail

White Sands Missile Range Hosts SystemsGo’s 2022 Goddard Level Rockets in 5 Days

White Sands Missile Range has been hosting the SystemsGo Rocket Program for over 20 years, and the tradition continues for the 2022 season. Changes have been made over the years, including moving from the original launch site which was West Center 50 (WC50) to alternate range ABC1. This change came about after the COVID shut down of 2020. Back logged government contracts took precedence for the larger range, necessitating the program’s relocation for continued support at the base.

The move to the smaller range also required the altitude cap for the rockets to be adjusted. The smaller site meant less than the 20-mile radius the program previously had available for these test vehicles to travel and stay within their parameters. The original height cap was 100,000 feet. The new cap instituted last year is 50,000 feet. ABC-1 does not have a large bunker, so only essential launch personnel stay on site, and the SG staff evacuate out five miles for launches. Students and teachers are taken to a secure location known as Tula G, which is further down range where they watch the launches on screen inside a designated facility. Due to this change, parents are no longer allowed to come. In years past parents watched from the theater at Mission Control. Unfortunately, volunteer staffing of base personnel for this is no longer available.

Stage 1 and 2 will take place on the range this year. In years past with the exception of last year, this was normal progression. Last year the Alamogordo High School hosted this part of the event. Stage 1 and 2 will take place while the SG team sets up the pad, launch rails, fill and fire system and electronics trailers. Rockets need to be complete by the end of the day on Friday as there will be very little latitude between T times to complete work on the vehicles. We are to be Mission Complete by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Sunday is a contingency day, but preferably it should not be no more than a site clean up day if needed that morning . Provided that we accomplish this early the remainder of the day’s activities will be decided at that time.

Due to higher prices for accommodations, the SG team and schools will stay at a hotel on the base. Since we will be approaching from the Las Cruces side of the range instead of Tula Rosa, travel time will increase as speeds are slower, most are two lane roads, and range police are strict. Please check with your teachers if you need information about our accommodations, as I do not think it is appropriate to post it here since it is not outside the base. For those who are still staying off base, be sure to keep up with schedules and times as they group will need to move together with an escort through the base.

Launches are scheduled for June 25th with a contingency/cleanup day for June 26th. The team will travel out to WSMR on Wednesday, June 23rd, and back home again on the 27th.

There are four schools scheduled to launch four rockets. These include:

Alamo Heights
Brazoswood
Fredericksburg
Union Grove

The current launch schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 23rd
1. Travel Day
Friday, June 24th
1. Site Set up ABC-1 8:00- 8:30 a.m.
2. Depart for site from Main gate by 7:00 a.m. start time.
3. Leave the site with Fredericksburg and Union Grove on the rails.
Saturday, June 25th
1. Launch Day (All Four Rockets, if possible, at 2-hour intervals.)
2. Depart from Main gate by 5:00 a.m. for 6:30 a.m. arrival on site.
3. Projected launch schedule:
  - T1 8:00 a.m. -Union Grove
  - T2 10:00 a.m. -Fredericksburg
  - T3 12:00 p.m. -Alamo Heights
  - T4 2:00 p.m. – Brazoswood
  - 5:00 p.m. – Range Time Ends
Sunday, June 26th
1. Contingency Launch Day/Cleanup/Fun Day/ Travel (What happens depends with launches Saturday.)
Monday, June 27th
1. Travel Day

#Rockets2022 #SystemsGo #Launcher01 #RideTheSky #Texasrockettrail #EyesOnTheSkies

Goddard Level Rockets Return to The Skies Once Again in 15 Days, Rockets 2021

The Goddard level rockets, which are the capstones of the SystemsGo program and the culmination of all the skills the students learned throughout their years in the program are set to launch June 25-27. This marks the final senior project for the schools that participate in this level of the program, and the last big event of the Rockets 2021 season.

Four schools are scheduled for testing at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) . The numbers of schools able to participate in this part of the program this year are significantly down. This is again due to COVID creating learning and participation barriers for students in both the 2020 and 2021 school years. Lack of in class time made it hard for students to finish large projects like these.

Due to shutdowns for COVID last year, White Sands Missile Range is also backlogged with military contracts that take priority. They are still accommodating our group but our regular range, WC-50 is under heavy contract and will not be available. We will instead be located on a smaller range, ABC-1. This poses several new restrictions for the group.

The first of these is an even more limited number of personnel allowed on the range during set up and launches. ABC-1 is a smaller range than what the group usually uses. It is not equipped with a large bunker like WC-50. Therefore, only two SystemsGo personnel will stay on the range during each launch. ALL others will be evacuated to Tula G. There will be video and radio communications with the pad available at Tula G.

A small group of SystemsGo essential people will evacuate to a limit of 5 miles out to expedite turn around between launches.

Because of this change, no non-essential personnel should expect to attend the event. Chaperones should be limited and double as drivers if possible. Along with a smaller launch site, there will not be any public viewing for parents and students at Range Control. WSMR COVID restrictions still do not allow for visitors at Range Control.

The second big change will affect the teams and their rockets. ABC-1 is a much smaller range than is generally used for this event. Because of this, it does not meet the criteria in recovery radius needed for vehicles reaching an altitude of 100,000 feet. Schools are now required to alter their rocket altitude requirements to a lesser height of 50,000 feet. The suggested correction for this is to adapt fuel loads for each vehicle to quell the altitude it can reach.

That sounds simple but adjusting fuel load and altitude also effects things like apogee and recovery deployment just to mention. Students are reminded that adjustments to their altimeters and recovery systems to adapt to the 50,000 ‘ Apogee limit is a necessity.

Part of this program is the challenges and meeting those challenges. It is late in the process, but it will be interesting to see how each team steps up to these new challenges and overcomes them in the time they still have before arriving for launch at WSMR.

The third change is another location change, this time for the Flight Readiness Reviews (FRR). These are normally conducted on WC-50. ABC-1 cannot accommodate this, so they will be hosted by the Alamogordo High School. Currently this is projected to be in their commons room. These will begin promptly at 7:00 AM, Friday morning, June 25th. Additional information about this may be available in an update email from Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt, closer to the event.

WSMR has military testing on Friday morning. At its completion, SystemsGo personnel will go down range to ABC-1 to begin set-up for launches. If Brazoswood and Union Grove are complete at this time they will bring their vehicles and assist in set-up, rail assembly, and will load their rockets onto the rails in preparations of first launch. If not, all remaining schools will wait and come as a group later in the day.

Launches are scheduled for June 26th and June 27th. The team will travel out to WSMR on Wednesday, June 24th, and back home again on either the 27th or the 28th. Hopeful expectations are that all rockets are launch complete on Saturday. Sunday is still open for contingency. There is a probability that WSMR may shift launch days and want testing for SystemsGo to be on Friday and Saturday. If this happens the first two rockets will launch Friday afternoon. This would also move FRR checks up to Thursday afternoon at either the school or the hotel parking lot as is available.

SystemsGo asks that everyone be prepared for any scenario and arrive as early as possible on Thursday so that any changes to the schedule can be accommodated. All paperwork must be turned in on Thursday as well. This includes:

UXO briefing registry
WSMR waiver
SystemsGo waiver

There are four schools scheduled to launch four rockets. These schools in their current projected launch order include:

Brazoswood
Union Grove
Booker T Washington
Alamo Heights

This order is based on the random draw and totally contingent on rocket completion and readiness. Otherwise, they will test in order of readiness, first done, first to launch.

Good luck to these students and schools! We will be seeing you very soon in New Mexico!

#Rockets2021 #SystemsGo #RideTheSky #Texasrockettrail #Rockets2021

A Holy Week Correlation to the COVID-19 Pandemic and an Easter Challenge!

Jesus suffered and died because sin spread like a Pandemic across His world, leaving it in need of a cure – a Savior!

The Corona COVID-19 Virus has become a Pandemic spreading across our world leaving it once again scrambling for a cure, a vaccine, a definitive end as people are sick and some are dying. Jesus is still that cure. He will provide healing. Has His world turned to Him fervently in prayer? I haven’t seen it yet, not really, not like they ought to be doing.

When Jesus was arrested, the disciples hid, isolating themselves from the crowds in fear. Though they loved Jesus they lived in fear that they too would suffer his fate, just for being identified as having been close to Him. They prayed and worried.

We are isolating ourselves from each other, family, and friends in fear of catching the virus or spreading it to others unknowingly. We are worrying, but are we praying? Really praying?

Currently our faces are covered to help prevent the spread of the virus from us to others, even if we don’t seem to have it. Unfortunately these coverings do not prevent us from receiving the virus from the uncovered mouths or places where it lingers or floats.

The spreading of God’s word by us should be the same. Our faces may be covered, but it should not prevent the spreading of the Word or sharing of prayer. We have phones, computers, tablets, I pads and countless apps and abilities for texting, videoing, talking and sharing the Good News! It is Easter! We should be spreading the story faster than the virus is spreading. Cover the virus not the Word of God. The world needs it now and always.

What have you done to spread the word and share hope during these trying times?

The disciples and many of Jesus’ followers stayed in isolation after Jesus’ crucifixion, still fearing for their safety as well as feeling lost and confused about what to do without Jesus. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to Jesus’ tomb to do what was necessary and customary because these things were essential for a proper burial. They risked everything to do what was right and needed to be done.

Because they buried their fear and continued to do what was necessary and essential, they were the first to receive the Good News that Christ had risen. Along their way, they were the first to see Jesus the risen Lord!

Today as many follow instructions, staying home in isolation and practicing social distancing in order to quell the spread, many, called “Essential Services Workers” are required to work on the front lines to help the sick and to keep all necessary and essential things operating the best they can for the good of all. They are the first to see all the bad as well as the good that happens.

When the storm quells, they will be the first to know that it is real and feel the joy and relief as they spread the news! They will be the first to show true hope for others. They are called upon to put themselves out there for all of us. They need our support and prayer.

Jesus observed the Passover meal and dined with His disciples before His time of trial began, knowing full well what was happening. He took the time and sat around the table with those that had become his students and family.

Our lives had become a crazy, fast paced ordeal before this virus struck. Most families did not even see each other enough to spend an evening once a week at the dinner table together. Granted it may go back to that again when this ends. For now, though, you are isolated at home with your families. You are teaching them, playing with them, watching TV and movies with them, and sharing activities that you may not have done together for a long time. Hopefully, you are sitting with them to eat around the dinner table.

How many times did Jesus tell his disciples and followers, that he would suffer, die, be laid in a tomb, rise again in three days and then go to be seated to rule his kingdom? They never really got it until it was over.

Time with family no matter the circumstances is precious. They will remember this time spent. The question is how will they remember it? That is for you to decide.

Be a witness of God’s love to your families in this time, whether parent or child After all, it is the faith of children and its doubtless strength and belief that Jesus tells us all to aspire to have.

Now is the time! This Easter may not be the big event with your larger groups of family and friends that you had originally planned. Do something to make your family’s Easter special. Next make a video of your Easter fun. Share that video online and tag all your missing family and friends in it so they can see how your family celebrated Easter and the Risen Lord. Then encourage your friends and family to do something and post their fun. Then as this goes on you could turn this exercise into a family fun time weekly.

This is not the worst of times, but only a difficult and different time. Christ is still with us and He will lead us through this. The events that created these circumstances are not good but that does not mean we cannot make good out of the bad.

We will remember this Pandemic and that there was illness and death and fear. We will also remember that there was family, community, new opportunities, and new ways of worship that may have reached even more people. We will remember that for every bad aspect of this, there was also good. Remember those things and work to make more good come out of it.

After all, Christ has Died, Christ has Risen, and Christ will come again! That is what Easter is really all about! And we are Easter people!

Goddard Level Rockets Ride The Skies in 17 Days Redbird #20 Among Them

The Goddard level rockets, which are the capstones of the SystemsGo program and the culmination of all the skills the students have learned throughout their years in the STEM program are set to launch June 21-23. This marks the final senior project for the schools that participate in this level of the SystemsGo program.

Redbird #20 is scheduled for testing at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) Sunday, June 23. This marks the last big event for Rockets 2019 and the Fredericksburg Engineering/Rocket Program.

As of today, May 31, when I was able to get a report on the rocket’s status, from team member, Dawsen Harkins, was in good standing. He reported that as of May 30, the nosecone had been assembled and covered with its first layer of fiberglass.

In this photo the nose cone ring is being secured in place, and centered by skewers for fiberglassing.

Although, the tank required 2 trips to SRM to have leaks rewelded, it has now completed its pressure testing successfully. It will be returning to SRM again to have the hatches and holes cut in.

New for this year is a piston valve system. This has also performed well when tested.

This year’s rocket is supporting three payloads. The first came from Harvard University, courtesy of former FHS student, Joseph Sanchez, who attends school there. It is a CubeSat with a pneumatically deployed solar panel.

They second one was created by Keith Jenkins, the FHS IT guy. It is a small electronics bay.

The third the team provided. It is a GoPro camera. It will be positioned behind an acrylic window in the hatch, so that it can look out and video the vehicle’s flight.

According to Harkins, “All components bays have been made and 3D printed and fit perfectly in the rocket.”

The fuel grain is also on the task list. They have assembled the mold for pouring it. One part of the mixture for the fuel grain is still not in but they will be mixing and pouring it as soon as this arrives.

As of this report, supplied last Friday, the following list of things is left and then they are FRR complete.

Complete the fiberglassing of the nose cone.
Make the fuel grain and assemble the motor system.
Assemble the recovery system.
Weld fins to body.
Cut hatches and have holes drilled in the body tube.
Fix minor little things for flight.

The current list of students from this team attending the WSMR launch is as follows:

Rodolfo Avila, Cody Blohm, Gloria Burns, Alexander Casteneda, Lucio Castro Vazquez, Clayton Ellebracht, Jose Escalante, Jabin Gipson, Dawsen Harkins, Cooper McDonald, Eduardo Memije, Bradley Plaza, Joshua Reese-Hadley, Nicholas Rodriguez, Robert Sanchez, Deja Turkett, Gabriel Voorhees, Carl Wilger, and Robert Zowie.

Currently there is not a team picture available, but here is Nick Rodriguez, Deja Turkett and Dawsen Harkins taking a work break on the stairs at FHS.

Launches are scheduled for June 21st and June 23rd. The team will travel out to WSMR on Wednesday, June 20th, and back home again on the 24th.

There are 7 schools scheduled to launch 8 rockets. These schools include:

Alamo Heights
Anahuac
Booker T. Washington
Brazoswood
Fredericksburg
Marble Falls
Union Grove

The current launch schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 2oth
1. Travel Day
Friday, June 21st
1. Mrorning-T-1/Site Set up WC-50; Afternoon-Launch Union Grove & Alamo Heights ( or whichever rockets are ready)
Saturday, June 22rd
1. Launch Day Two (Four Rockets-Booker T., Anahuac, Marble Falls, & Brazoswood)
Sunday, June 23rd
1. Launch Day Two (Two Rockets-Fredericksburg & Booker T Washington)
Monday, June 24th
1. Travel Day (Could travel home on the 23rd if operations are complete in time.)

This article is for the 2018/2019 school year to update the Fredericksburg Engineering/Rocket program. This school is a participant of the SystemsGo STEM program. This series of articles is intended to support and encourage students in the program as they share their working status and accomplishments throughout the year in the program. These publications will be available for tags and re-posting.

#Rockets2018 #SystemsGo #FredricksburgSTEMAcademy #Launcher01 #RideTheSky #Texasrockettrail

Fredericksburg’s Engineering Rocket Program-Pre-Launch Week Red Bird #19 Update

Red Bird #19 is scheduled for testing at White Sands Missile Range(WSMR) next Friday, June 22. This marks the last big event for Rockets 2018 and the Fredericksburg STEM Academy for this season.

These are the Goddard level rockets, which are the culmination of all the skills the students have learned throughout their years in the STEM program. This marks the final senior project for those schools that participate in this level of the SystemsGo program.

As of today, June 15, the Fredericksburg Engineering Red Bird #19 rocket team is due to pick up the vehicle from SRM tomorrow, now that the welding is completed. The team still has to complete the assembly of the motor and then integrate it, as well as the, injector valve, payload, and parachutes. They will be attempting to finish the FRR tonight. In spite of the remaining tasks they are on schedule to make their launch at WSMR.

Red Bird #19 has an 8 inch diameter and is 25 feet long. The team outsourced the payload to the district IT employee and former FMS science teacher, Keith Jenkins. He created a sensor for the vehicle that will measure methane levels at the time of nose cone deployment.

When asked about the rocket’s expectations, Harrison Spisak stated, “My expectations are about 65,00 feet, but after NASA evaluated it they estimated 102,000.” Therefore that is the hopeful estimate if all goes perfectly.

Today, team members, Joey Leal and Harrison Spisak were working on the FRR, and T-1 briefing as seen in the photos below.

Here the nose cone and injection system also await integration.

Here Joey Leal checks on the rockets progress at SRM machine shop.

Harrison Spisak’s father will be hauling the rocket on his trailer to White Sands for the team.

Pictured here is this year’s Red Bird #19 Team: Back Row: Harrison Spisak, Jacob Wienecke, Evan Knapp, Bryce Erwin, Sergio Walle. Front Row: Corbin Smajstrla, Rebecca Sechrist, Pierce Vasquez, Joey Leal. Not pictured in the seniors picture was Chris Calzada.

Launches are scheduled for June 22nd and June 23rd, with a contingency day on the 24th if needed. The team will travel out to WSMR on Wednesday, June 20th, and back home again on the 23rd.

There are 5 schools scheduled to launch 6 rockets. These schools include:

Alamo Heights
Anahuac
Booker T. Washington
Brazoswood
Fredericksburg
Union Grove

The current launch schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, June 2oth Travel Day
Thursday, June 21st T-1 and Site Set up/Rocket Prep at WC- 50
Friday, June 22rd Launch Day One (Four Rockets-Fredericksburg, Brazoswood, Booker T., Anahuac)
Saturday, June 23rd Launch Day Two (Two Rockets–Union Grove, Alamo Heights)
Sunday, June 24th Contingency Day/ Travel Day
Monday, June 25th Travel Day if needed

This article is the eighth for the 2017/2018 school year in a series of periodic updates that has followed the Fredericksburg Engineering/Rocket program. This school is a participant of the SystemsGo STEM program. This series of articles is intended to support and encourage students in the program as they share their working status and accomplishments throughout the year in the program. These publications will be available for tags and re-posting.

#Rockets2018 #SystemsGo #FredricksburgSTEMAcademy #Launcher01 #RideTheSky

Rockets 2018-Houston-Pictures by Sean Hannon From the Weekend

Houston Rockets 2018 had many talented photographers on site this year. This makes for a gallery of great pictures, and this new album definitely falls into that category.

Sean Hannon’s photographs surely do not disappoint their audience. He regularly contributes his photographs from the launches to SystemsGo. He did a great job of capturing not only the people and rockets, but also the action. Here are just a few from his album.

The full album can be found at the two following locations:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmc4SsMb

and the SystemsGo website at:

http://www.systemsgo.org/media-gallery/

The SystemsGo website also has a host of other media from this year’s events as well as past years.

If you would like to watch this year’s launches again or maybe you missed them, the Livestream link to the videos will be available for about a month. You can find them here:

https://livestream.com/systemsgo

Thank you Sean Hannon for your photography works and the opportunity to share them with my readers and rocket followers.

If you follow this program Rockets 2018 will continue with the senior/graduate groups which are scheduled to launch their Goddard level rockets at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico June 22-24. These are not available for public viewing or Livestream due to being tested on a military facility, but blog and SystemsGo updates will be posted online as available during that week.

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

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.

#RideTheSky! #Launcher01 #ItISrocketScience #Rockets2018

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