Tag: McGregor High School

Tsiolkovsky training closed just after noon today. The group spent the morning addressing questions that arose on the PDR. After which they produced a rocket with a 1lb payload capable of 1 mile of altitude above ground level using RockSim. 

FRRs were done on their simulated vehicle as well as on the three rockets Rbekah had there as examples. Jabberwocky the door sentinel was one of these. 

Time priorities were discussed and stressed. Teaching the students to have their vehicle completed a few weeks prior to launch so that they are ready when they arrive at the range to launch is essential. That was a wrap for the class.

students expressed great enjoyment and vast learning from this class.

Regional Coordinator, Doug Underwood, will conduct Oberth trainings. July 31- August 1 here in Fredericksburg..  Hollenstein, Georgetown and McGregor High Schools will be in attendance.  This level teaches students in their Senior year about Transonic rockets, which are designed to break the speed of sound.

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of rockets, you obviously have not hung out with this crew enough! Do you think maybe you should? Encourage the schools in your area to join the 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 greatly benefited.

#RideTheSky! #Rockets2022 RocketSeason!

Today the class began learning the Design and Development Loop, and its application this process to rocketry.  They first developed a Problem Statement, which identified the initial task, build a rocket.

As seen here on the board, their problem statement is:

With a budget of $900 and launch date of May 1st a recoverable and reusable rocket must be built, designed, and launched. The rocket must carry a one pound scientific payload to an altitude of one mile AGL(above ground level).

Next they used a brainstorming session to develop a list of components needed to create and launch this rocket: 

• fire wadding
• proof of altitude
• timeline/budget
• body tube
• nosecone
• launch lugs
• engine
• ignition
• rail
• fins
• motor mount
• recovery system
• payload
• launch area
• components
• rail

This was the beginning point they used to narrow down specific component groups they believed were related and should be grouped together. Next they identified individual team members to work that specific group :

• ignition/engine/motor mount–Mel/Amy
• recovery–Dan/Brian
• fins/lugs/body/nosecone/(fire wadding)/compartments–Derek/Johnathan
• payload/proof of altitude–Bryant/Nicole

Each team set out with their component and began research. They were given 2 hours to go on an in depth fact finding mission. Here are just a few of the many problems before them to address:

• What are their options for each component?
• What materials are available to them?
• Is the chosen material within their budget?
• Does a particular option make a difference in over all success over another option?
• What kind of Impulse will it take to get the rocket to a mile high?

These were just starting points. They began with reasonable assumptions of what they believed they needed, and then began to hone in on actualities through research, further brainstorming, and generating alternative solutions.

The teams were allowed and encouraged to discuss options and ideas in order to determine how each team’s component  would work with the rest. The idea was to design a vehicle together so that it would not fail.

By 4:00 p.m. each team would have to present their idea and be able to prove why they chose this option. Their idea would have to pass a Preliminary Design Review(PDR), in order to establish the operational effectiveness of their chosen system.

During the short time I was there and able to listen in on their brainstorming, I heard questions about phenolic resin, fiber carbon bodies(quickly pitched due to expense), nose cone shape and sizing, chute deployment ideas, and payload weights and options. At the time that I left, the payload had been determined to be chocolate ice cream with the stipulation that Rebekah and I would get to share it if it survived. 

These teachers have not actually built these vehicles before, so they are in the same place their future students will be. They are expected to do everything the way they will be instructing their students to do, only the students will actually build the physical rocket and will have a semester in which to do it, instead of a day. 

It is a very in depth learning experience.  The program is designed to enable the students to think through the process themselves in order to figure out what has to be done and accomplish it. 

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of rockets, you obviously have not hung out with this crew enough! And it is time you do!

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! #Rockets2022 RocketSeason!

Today was the culmination of the first semester training for the class. They were introduced to modeling using Rock Sim and given a challenge to design and build a rocket. They had a Stability Margin of 1-2 and an altitude goal of 1500′ to 2200′ depending on the motor size they chose.

Motor C was designed for the 2200′ goal, and motor B for the 1500′ goal. Each teacher was asked to design a rocket based on the location and demographics of their school. This includes actual open space for a launch and recovery radius and encompasses surrounding entities like airports, neighborhoods, and businesses that would need to be avoided in these projections. Determining these factors would help each teacher decide which motor and height requirement would be viable for their school’s location.

Once they have clarified these requirements, they design their rocket using RockSim. This program helps them determine the rocket’s height and speed possibilities. When their design and development is complete they print out their schematics and build their rocket.

At completion a Flight Readiness Review is done. The goal is to build and test the vehicle in one day. This meant launching by 5:00 pm.

Most of the class had started the building stage when I arrived. A few were still designing on the computer. Any manner of tools and adhesives were in continuous use around the room passing from one person to the next. Dremel tools with grinder wheels and filing tips created a constant buzz.

One observation about these new vehicles was their size. In the past days the rockets lengths had ranged from about 6 to 12 inches, give or take a little. These Generation 3 rockets were more of the 3 to 6 inch range.

In the two days prior the teachers seemed more laid back and quiet as they constructed their rockets. Today, the room buzzed and their was a sense of urgency and even slight elation as they worked.

They stayed busy, but still found time to make comments about their own or a friends current design.

One student asked if his nose cone had to be symmetrical? This received many looks and comments from his colleagues. This same student was questioned repeatedly about how he was planning on his nose cone deploying since it was heavily taped in at the time. He planned to remove most of the tape prior to launch, stating that it was only there until everything was set.

Another discussion about a unit of measurement called a slug caused great trepidation for a couple of the gentlemen in the class. One of them commented that a person would have to be an engineer to understand that unit of measurement. The gentleman with the nose cone question, “I am an engineer.”

However, our friend, Nicole, from yesterday, was smiling. She was energetically working on her new rocket. She had a renewed sense of confidence in her abilities today, after her successful launch yesterday.

The group was far from complete and launches were quite a ways out yet when my visit for the day came to an end. They did launch close to 5:00 that afternoon. When I drove by after work, they were just heading back to the shop.

Tomorrow and then until around 1:00pm on Friday, they will be delving into the second semester of the Tsiolkovsky class. Among the criteria will be designing a 1lb/1 mile rocket.

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of rockets, you obviously have not hung out with this crew enough!

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! #Rockets2022 RocketSeason!

This week’s classes are back at Fredericksburg High School, where Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt continues training teachers on the Tsiolkovsky level of rockets. The Texas schools of Summer Creek, Hollenstein, Friendswood, Atascocita, Galena Park, Georgetown, and McGregor are in attendance.

This level of the program is designed for Sophomore, Junior and Senior grade students whose projects are generally one pound/one mile rockets for launch at one of the spring launches. Before the students, whether high schoolers or these teacher students, can get to the 1/1 rockets they spend time building 3 different levels of small-scale rockets. These are Generation rockets. They help the students understand all the components of a rocket, how they fit together, in what order, and why each piece is important, as well as how each works within the vehicle.

At the point I came in for my 40 minutes of class, today, PD Hyatt, had just handed out all the pieces of a Generation 1 rocket. The teacher students, were not told what any of the pieces were, nor their use within the rocket. They had to identify them, and their use, and design a rocket using all of them. They also had to explain how Newton’s 3 laws of motion applied to their assembly of the rocket. Lastly it must fly.

I made a list of the components on the students desk, and actually did quite well identifying each one. Body tube, nose cone, parachute, streamers/reefing for chute, motor sleeve, motor, fins, and ignition were the easy pieces for me. The anti-flamable paper, 3 rings (I figured one was an engine block), and the funny plastic nipple threw me off. The paper is to prevent the chute from burning, the other two rings for centering, and the nipple, well a launch lug.

One of the teachers said he was not concerned about the whole thing burning at launch. Rebekah explained that rapid, unplanned disassembly, was not the desired outcome at this point, or really at any of the levels of the program. Although it does happen despite designing it not to do so.

Right before I left for the day, Rebekah brought out a launch rail for these rockets. Several teachers were still having problems with how to align and assembly their vehicle parts. She explained that their rocket would have to mount on this rail and come all the way down to the base in order to connect to the DC igniter. Many were perplexed at this.

I had to leave at this point, but they did complete their rockets and launch them that afternoon. Rebekah reported that it went well. There is a video but the file did not come through, so watch for it possibly on SystemsGo’s Facebook page.

After their launch they started on the Generation 2 rockets. This started with PD Hyatt chopping their G1’s in half. They were then told to redesign them using the bottom half, which included over large fins still intact from the original body piece that was left. The chore now is to make this new vehicle stable. I cannot wait to see how this plays out tomorrow.

Discussions on Stability, Vector, Demensional Analysis, and Conservation of Energy will be part of this new rocket.

The Jabberwocky greeted me as I entered and left the classroom today. Standing tall here at the doorway, a sentinel of what is yet to come for this class group.

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of rockets, you obviously have not hung out with this crew enough!

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! #Rockets2022 RocketSeason!