Rockets 2019 Expands Again Adding the New North Texas Launch Site, Launches Commence Next Week

The SystemsGo program added a brand new venue in North Texas  at Jack County to the  Rockets 2019 launch line up.  This is now the third Texas launch site for the junior level rockets.   As the number of schools in Texas is increasing over the years, this venue was added to deflect some of the load from the Central Texas and Southeast Texas launches. There are currently 51 schools participating in the three Texas launches, with a total this year of 145 rockets.

Having this new site has allowed the load to be distributed by region to a more manageable number for each. This year that division is as follows:

  • North Texas/Jack County– 12 schools – 39 rockets
  • Central Texas/Stonewall– 22 schools – 49 rockets
  • Southeast Texas/Smith Point– 17 schools – 57 rockets

North Texas is the second launch in the 2019 series, preceded by the Jal, New Mexico launch, and followed  next by  Central Texas/Stonewall and Southeast Texas/Smith Point.

Later in the summer, eight Texas schools are currently on the roster to attempt a possible 10 rockets at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, completing the fifth launch and finalizing the season.

All sites will be open to public viewing of launches except White Sands Missile Range. However, if you plan to attend any of these launches please register for your attendance ticket ahead of time or obtain them at the gate. These are free but required for admittance to each site as they also include a waiver for access to the site.  Reserving them ahead at the website is preferred to obtaining them at the gate because the latter slows entrance to the site and may result in you missing the viewing of your intended launch. The link is listed in the information above or can be found at www.sytemsgo.org .

This new launch site is in Jacksboro area, while Stages 1 and 2 are at the Fire Department in nearby Perrin. Patience may be in order if you plan to view launches here, since occasionally there can be small kinks to work out at a new location.  Patience is a normal requirement with test vehicles, as they don’t adhere to schedules well.  In fact, rockets are subject to winds, weather and workmanship, all of which can stall a launch.

The sites will be open for admittance at 8:00 a.m. and launches will commence at 8:30 a.m. Come join in the action and cheer on these students. Admission is free, but the look on your students’ faces when their vehicle goes up and then is recovered, is far from priceless.

The  launch dates, locations, map links, ticket links, and schools are also listed here for your convenience or can be found at http://www.systemsgo.org/events/ .

North Texas/Jack County:

  • Friday, April 26-Saturday, April 27
  • New Launch Site: FM 2210 W and Gowan Ranch Lane, Jacksboro, TX 76458
    Stage 1 & 2 at Perrin VFD: 2210 W Hackley Street, Perrin, TX 76486
  • https://www.greateventseats.com/NthTexas
  • North Texas-Jack County 2019 Flight Schedule
  • Map to Sites (PDF)
  • Schools participating: Buinger CTE Academy, Carroll HS, Henrietta HS, Hollenstein CTC, Scurry-Rosser HS, University HS, Birdville CTAL, Grapevine HS, Maypearl HS, Northwest HS, Petrolia HS, RL Turner HS
  • 39 expected rockets for testing

If you follow this program and like to view the launches, Rockets 2019  will continue with two  more launches in May. The Central Texas/Fredericksburg launch site  will be third in the line up this year. It has moved from Willow City to the Sammy Segner Ranch in Stonewall, Texas.  Look for more details on that  coming up. The last of the junior level launches will be held in Smith Point just south of Anahuac, Texas for schools in the Houston  and Southeast Texas area.

A live feed for each launch will be provided and will be available at www.systemsgo.org as each launch date arrives.

The senior groups are tentatively scheduled to launch their Goddard level rockets at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico in late June.  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 in upcoming days as events get closer. Daily reports featuring schedule links, school names, results, pictures and some editorial content will be posted during the events if information is available.

Please watch the SystemsGo website, SystemsGo Facebook page,  SystemsGo Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/SystemsGoNews and this blog for upcoming information on theses events.

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. You may also email them at info@systemsgo.org . Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.

Hope to see you at the launches!

 

 

 

Rockets 2019 Blasts Off 5 Times this Season, Begining at Jal, New Mexico Next Week!!!

The  2019 Rocket season is boasting five launches this year! The SystemsGo program added a brand new venue in North Texas as well as a new location for the original Central Texas launch, making three Texas launches and one New Mexico launch for the Tsiolkovsky and Oberth levels. The fifth and final launch for the season is the Goddard level at White Sands Missile Range, in New Mexico.

The current rosters list 13 schools participating in the Jal, New Mexico launch,  where they will be testing 33 rockets. This is the third year for this venue and already they are outfitted with their own staff and volunteers. Fredericksburg Program Staff will still be there to help and oversee operations. Their numbers in both schools and rockets has greatly increased since their first season. They began with 6 schools and 10 rockets, only testing Tsiolkovsky vehicles. Now they test both Tsiolkovsky and Oberth level vehicles, and  have doubled the amount of participating schools and more than tripled the rocket numbers.

With 13 schools launching in Jal, and a total of 51 schools in the three Texas launches, that brings the grand total of schools to 64. Add testing 145 rockets at the Texas launches to Jal’s 33 and 178 rockets will #RideTheSkies for this 2019 Rocket season.

Later in the summer, eight Texas schools are currently on the roster to attempt a possible 10 rockets at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, completing the fifth launch and finalizing the season.

SystemsGo New Mexico does have a twitter feed  in order to follow the launches. The link is still live, but right now there are no current tweets.  That link is https://twitter.com/SystemsGoNM

All sites will be open to public viewing of launches except White Sands Missile Range. However, if you plan to attend any of these launches please register for your attendance ticket ahead of time or obtain them at the gate. These are free but required for admittance to each site as they also include a waiver for access to the site.  Reserving them ahead at the website is preferred to obtaining them at the gate because the latter slows entrance to the site and may result in you missing the viewing of your intended launch.

The  launch dates, locations, map links, ticket links, and schools are also listed here for your convenience or can be found at http://www.systemsgo.org/events/ .

Jal, New Mexico:

North Texas/Jack County:

  • Friday, April 26-Saturday, April 27
  • New Launch Site: FM 2210 W and Gowan Ranch Lane, Jacksboro, TX 76458
    Stage 1 & 2 at Perrin VFD: 2210 W Hackley Street, Perrin, TX 76486
  • https://www.greateventseats.com/NthTexas
  • North Texas-Jack County 2019 Flight Schedule
  • Map to Sites (PDF)
  • Schools participating: Buinger CTE Academy, Carroll HS, Henrietta HS, Hollenstein CTC, Scurry-Rosser HS, University HS, Birdville CTAL, Grapevine HS, Maypearl HS, Northwest HS, Petrolia HS, RL Turner HS
  • 39 expected rockets for testing

Central Texas/Stonewall:

Southeast Texas/Smith Point

The sites will be open for admittance at 8:00 a.m. and launches will commence at 8:30 a.m.  Of course rockets are subject to winds, weather and workmanship, all of which can stall a launch. Come join in the action and cheer on these students. Admission is free, but the look on your students’ faces when their vehicle goes up and then is recovered, is far from priceless.

If you follow this program and like to view the launches, Rockets 2019  will continue with three  more launches in April and May. Next the brand new site in Jack County in North Texas will be the place to be. The launch site is in Jacksboro while Stages 1 and 2 are at the Fire Department in nearby Perrin. Patience may be in order if you are watching here, since occasionally  there can be small kinks to work out at a new location. Of course as those of you know that have watched before, patience is a normal requirement with test vehicles.  39 rockets will be tested by 12 schools at this new site this year.

The Central Texas/Fredericksburg launch site  will be third in the line up this year. It has moved from Willow City to the Sammy Segner Ranch in Stonewall, Texas.  Stages 1 and 2 will be at the Stonewall Chamber of Commerce building.  This is a new location for this launch as well, but hopefully it will continue to run smoothly (as smooth as this kind of thing does anyway) since it is the same basic crew and volunteers, with a few new volunteers too, but just in a new place.  This testing site covers mostly the Fredericksburg and Hill Country area schools. Currently there are 49 rockets scheduled for launch by 22 schools at this location.

The last of the junior level launches will be held in Smith Point just south of Anahuac, Texas for schools in the Houston  and Southeast Texas area.   Currently  57 vehicles are scheduled for testing by 17 schools at this site.  This location is in its third year for that area. Information and a map links are available.

A live feed for each launch, except Jal, New Mexico, will be provided and will be available at www.systemsgo.org as each launch date arrives.

The senior groups are tentatively scheduled to launch their Goddard level rockets at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico in late June.  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 in upcoming days as events get closer. Daily reports featuring schedule links, school names, results, pictures and some editorial content will be posted during the events if information is available.

Please watch the SystemsGo website, SystemsGo Facebook page,  SystemsGo Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/SystemsGoNews and this blog for upcoming information on theses events.

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. You may also email them at info@systemsgo.org . Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.

Hope to see you at the launches!

 

 

 

Rockets 2018-Friday Day 2 Report and Saturday Schedule

Friday had a slow start for rockets. A combination of  the lack of rocket readiness and a cloudy sky delayed our start until about 11:30 when the first vehicle lifted off. SystemsGo was able to load 24 out of 25 rockets listed on the schedule onto the rails and launched all 24. The 25th was an abort by one of the schools.

The schedule boasted an array of interesting vehicle designs and colors. All 24 left the rail, some with picture perfect flights and a few with rather short flights landing quickly again in the field around the launch  pad. These at least were easy for Recovery to locate and bring in for the students.

A Gifted and Talented class from Fredericksburg Junior High came out to get a tour and view the launches for a while this morning.

Embry Riddle University had a representative there with a booth of information, hoping to encourage students to pursue engineering education through them.

There was one particular rocket with a very different fin configuration today. Unfortunately I cannot remember the rocket’s actual name, but we all nicknamed it the Windmill. It was designed by Marble Falls High school and sported two sets of fins the larger of which gave it the appearance of a windmill fan. We were all quite interested in the launch of this vehicle since we hadn’t seen fins like this before, and were curious as to how they would perform. Below is the vehicle in stage 3.

The next sequence is from their launch. Shortly after lift off the large fins sheared off, raining down around the Pad, but the smaller fins carried the vehicle to a significant height before it nosed over and headed back down. Chute did deploy but the body separated from the chute and landed just inside the fence of the launch field, and the nose cone and chute landed on the ground across the fence about 50 yards. It really wasn’t a bad launch for the unusual rocket.

           Unfortunately I don’t seem to have gotten a picture of the body tube after recovery. It was a fascinating launch, that we were all waiting to see, so I thought I would share it here as well.

That concludes the fun for Friday. Join us at the launch site again tomorrow for more action. Saturday will be our last day this year. There are no Sunday launches.

Below is the launch schedule for tomorrow, Saturday. There are 7 schools launching a total of 22 rockets tomorrow.

School Name / Teacher 1/1 Trans
Akins HS
John Sayce
3 4
Alamo Heights HS
Colin Lang
4
Birdville CTAL
Conner Gorman
3
London HS
Toni Castle
1
Manor HS
Will Davis
1 1
Northwest HS
Elizabeth Mitias
2 1
RL Turner HS
Brian Morrill
2
Schools Launching                7
Totals 12 10
Total Rockets                22

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

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/systemsgo

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.

http://www.systemsgo.org/events/

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.

#SystemsGo #Rockets2017 #FredericksburgSTEMAcademy #Launcher01 #SystemsGoNewMexico