Tag: Steve Burow

Tsiolkovsky Teacher Training Generation 3 on Day 3

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!

Tsiolkovsky Training Continues Day 2 at FHS

Tuesday morning the class spent converting their Generation 1 Rockets into Generation 2 Rockets. Stability was a primary component of the redesign. Once the vehicle was cut and only the bottom half returned to work with, new development began. Students had to take into account weight, thrust, impulse momentum, drag and lift.

They also had to create flight profile predictions based on their design and calculations, and a flight readiness review of their vehicle.

Here are some of their Generation 2 rockets:

When I arrived at class, they were not all back from lunch. One student, Cole Bolen, was waiting outside the door. I asked her how things were going so far? She expressed great disappointment in her own Gen 1 and now Gen 2 rockets. She said that she was good at math, the calculations, and scribing her ideas down on paper, but her hands on application was in her words, “a disaster.”

“In every group I have ever been in, whether school or college, I am always the scribe. I can do the calculations and put it beautifully on paper. People I worked with learned quickly that what ever I touch falls apart. Even at home, my husband makes me the gopher while he does the heavy work,” she lamented.

“When building my Gen 1 I focused too much on making it “look” like a rocket, instead of the functionality of the rocket. When I was done it looked great, but the flight was terrible,” she said. “It barely left the rail, turned sideways, headed for the group and luckily crashed into the ground. I don’t want to be that person that gets someone injured because my project blew up!” Cole sighed.

As we talked, I told her it was alright, at least it got off the rail. Her students would see that as a success, and then they would learn more while analyzing and determining what went wrong, just as she was now doing. She agreed and said that was one of her concerns about one day conveying these principles to her students.

“I guess I know that if it had been an automatic success, then I wouldn’t have learned much. This way I am determined to fix it for the next one,” she said.

Today, when having to take what she described as the bottom half of a charred and dirty mess, and once again create a rocket that was supposed to be functional and fly, she found it a very daunting task. She said she had done great at drawing it all out, but just couldn’t get it to stay together. She was concerned that it would once again blow apart leaving the rail.

I expressed to her that I was sure it would be better today than she thought. I told her that in this program a failed launched is still a successful learning opportunity. To quote a friend, “In order for a rocket to fly, 1000 things must go right, but it only takes one for it to fail.” It is in determining what caused the failure that a new success is born as well as a new chance to do better.

The rest of the class returned about this time and each gathered their rockets and we headed out to the launch field. All the rockets flew, except one. That one still left the rail after an interesting spinning episode and it landed just a few feet from the rail.

Cole’s flew beautifully. The chute deployed and all was recovered. Her only mishap was that it came down in two sections that were not connected. She proved to herself that she could do this.

In the grand scheme of things, that is what this program is all about. Both the teachers, and their future students, learning all the STEM applications of the program, and then designing, developing, discerning, attaining, applying and presenting all they have learned in a workable completed project. Once the project is complete, it is the massive amount of take away that goes with each of them and helps develop their futures that matters the most.

Yes each one wants their rocket to be a success in terms of flight. That is the goal, but here success is really measured in the inspired hope and plans of each student as they head out to do something great in their future.

Congratulations, Cole! Now on to Generation 3 with new confidence in what you are learning, what you can do, and what you will be able to teach your students in the future. You already have a head start on problem solving. Thank you for sharing your experience with me and my readers.

Below is a Facebook link to the videos I attempted to take of the launches. Please excuse my videoing. With the bright sun I did not do too well at keeping the camera in the right place.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=ginger.burow&set=a.4409145962439834

After the launches, the class headed back in to pour over their Flight Readiness Reviews for both their Gen 2 rockets and their upcoming Gen 3’s. They will be discussing impulse, drag and lift, and resistance along with a focus on problem solving.

Rebekah, referred to the upcoming section as the Gen 3 Challenge. Generation 3 will be a whole new build. I will leave it at that for now, so as to not give away any new things that will be part of this challenge, in case they have not been introduced yet. Tomorrow should be another interesting, challenging and fun day.

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!

Tsiolkovsky Teacher Training in Fredericksburg, Day 1

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.

Here one of the teachers is studying his box of pieces, and making notes.

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.

Another teacher creates detailed notes and drawings of his design idea.

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.

Rapid disassembly was a discussion of this row.

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!

Goddard Teacher Training Friday Final

Today marked the final day of the Goddard Teacher Training class. Unfortunately for me, but better for all of them, class was done by the time my lunch came around and I entered the class. Phil Houseal, was packing up his video equipment, Rebekah was packing up snacks, and coffee, and the teachers were headed out to find home again.

Mr. Matthes and I spoke briefly about the day. They spent the morning discussing Stability, and Propulsion. At the end of their time, Rebak Hyatt, spoke about the Philosophies behind rocketry. 

It was my impression from the teachers that they all had a very informative and fun week, delving into the Goddard program. 

July 19-23, four schools will train on the Tsiolkovsky level at Artesia Administration Building in Artesia, New Mexico. Canon City High School from Colorado, and Logan, Elida, and Animas High Schools all from New Mexico will all train with Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt.  These classes are 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.

The feature picture for today’s short article is Brazoswood’s Goddard rocket from this year. I thought it a fitting way to end the week. 

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!

Goddard Teacher Training Day 4

Anatomy of a Rocket was the continued subject today in Goddard class. Yesterday encompassed the aft end of the vehicle, where as today it was the forward section. Concentrations on Nosecones, Recovery, Payload and Fins were primary discussions, as per Mr. Matthes. Interestingly, one of those components does not belong on the forward section of a rocket. I do believe that would be a slight design flaw. This leads me to believe that it was obviously the end of the aft section before beginning the forward section. No pun intended.

Earlier in the day during the discussion on nosecones, the group took a short field trip to the FHS Engineering storage room. Here they looked at various examples of nosecones that FHS has used on past rockets.

Chris McLeod, told me about this part of the day. He stated that I had missed the best part, and that he knew it was hard to get good pictures of them working on the screen. He then supplied the picture from this field trip, and I used it as the feature for this article. Thank you, Chris!

When I entered the discussion today, they were at the end of examples of chute configurations and deployment options. Below is what greeted me on the screen. They had already come to the consensus that option C was what they were going to include in their diagram.

Recovery had been a big part of the discussion earlier and Chris Madsen, NASA JSC, had conferenced in to aid in this conversation.

There was still some discussions about tethering, reefing, and chording. Mr. Matthes, brought up a chute drawing from earlier in the day to discuss more options and ideas on how to best accomplish these necessities.

Placement of the main and drogue chutes in reference to the avionics and electronics bay, and an antenna system for tracking, recovery and telemetry of the rocket were discussed. The antenna is being implemented since radar tracking is not always a reliable medium. Having this antenna onboard will aid in these areas supplying a secondary system instead of just the radar. Attaching this antenna so that it stays intact during flight and chute deployment seemed to be the more difficult part of adding it to the design.

At this point, the class transitioned to the screen calling on a new volunteer to draw the forward section of their vehicle. Michael Dodson, the teacher from Lovington High School in New Mexico, took on this task.

First they listed the main components that needed to be included:

  • Tank
  • Pressure gauge, pressure release valve, pressure release vent
  • Payload
  • Recovery-shock chords, Main, piston system, drogue
  • Avionics
  • Bulkheads

Just like Wednesday, the drawing kept evolving as they discussed what parts were needed and where their placement would be. Payload was added next. As per what the actual payload would be, I did not hear that answer. Although, 5 pounds of Playdough was mentioned as an option. At the Tsiolkovsky and Oberth levels it has been used, although not 5 pounds.

Playdough is not appropriate as a payload at the Goddard level. It was mentioned by the group as a kind of inside joke and therefore mentioned here to get the attention of certain individuals. You know who you are. We have to lighten the technical mood and have a little fun.

Here the payload compartment has been added to the diagram.

As the thought process stalled, Mr. Matthes, chided the teachers about having a deadline of 5 pm. tomorrow to complete their rocket. He razzed them about not putting in after hours time like the high school students do, to get the work done. During this time Mr. Dodsen added a frontal view of the recovery compartment to the drawing.

Doug Kimbrell and Doug Underwood sat at the back offering suggestions to the class and combing through material on the computer for ideas.

The class continued their brainstorming as I slipped out again for the day, my 40 minutes of class at it’s end.

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of designing, building, launching and chasing 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!

Goddard Teacher Training Day 3

Today’s lesson was concerning the Anatomy of a Rocket. Quite honestly this was not a good class to come into the middle of and expect to keep up.

The best example I can give of how this went is as follows. My family often plays a game at holidays, we call “Pass Around Pictionary.” To sum it up, each person has a piece of paper on which they draw a picture, then fold the paper to hide the picture, and then they pass it to the next person to describe the picture in words. This process continues going back and forth from picture to words each time the paper is passed, and each person can only see what the person before them drew or wrote and must describe using the opposite action.

Now fast forward to today. I walk into a high level rocket training class just as the main lecture on how to design these vehicles has ended, and a student/teacher is selected to go to the board and draw/design a rocket with the help of his classmates. Not only are they drawing this vehicle as they go along, they are problem solving, designing, discussing parameters and components, and redrawing as the thought process changes and develops.

Here Conner Gorman from BCTAL steps up to the screen, at Mr. Matthes’ prodding for a volunteer, and Rhonda Baker, suggests that it is someone else’s time as she has already done board time earlier in the day.

The drawing began simple enough so I tried to draw my own copy picture as they went along. Their board allowed for erasing and changing as they went along. I brought a notebook and an INK pen to class today. It worked well the last two days, but failed me miserably today. I finally gave up on trying to complete the drawing, and went to listing components that I knew were part of a rocket. Needless to say I went from drawing to writing, watching as their diagram continued to evolve.

Incidentally, here is what my drawing and notes looked like.

You engineers, teachers and people who really know all this stuff, you can stop laughing now.

This too had it’s downfalls, because even though I know a lot of the pieces that go into a rocket, it is mostly the big stuff, like nose cone, tank, fins and fuel grain, and some of the tiny things like O-rings, valves, nuts, bolts, etc.

We were now discussing all the large, small, tiny, unknown and very necessary items. Several factors that effect each of them, their sizes, configurations, placement possibilities, etc. Not to mention the abbreviations, acronyms, and formulas that were being used as descriptors. I definitely need to take this class from beginning to end!!!

Here, Mr. Gorman almost appears to look like I felt. Although for him, it was probably just a thinking process moment.

One thing is for sure, these teachers were being held to the same standard or higher that the high school students in the program are and they were having to perform, just as they will be directing their future students to do. They were designing and developing a diagram of a rocket that they could look back on later as a working example. Each one was analyzing the possibilities and determining the best, what kind, why that one, and how of it all.

They were thinking through things like injector ports, vents, nozzles, electronics bays and their placements on the vehicles and determining if the design was good. Contemplating if they might need to reach that component later and how they would?

The drawing developed, morphed, changed and was redrawn as questions were put forth and answered. It was amazing to be a part of, but nearly impossible to take notes on and keep track.

Even these pictures really do not do the material or the participation of the working minds, justice. I cannot wait to see where they are tomorrow! Here are two more that were part of their discussion. I will let you fill in the captions for these.

We did have a few new faces today. SystemsGo Executive Director, Scott Netherland; Board President, Doug Kimbrell; and past graduate of the program, Robert Sanchez were all in attendance. At the time that I was there, Scott and Doug were observing. Robert said he was fixing one of the school’s 3D printers so that he could use it to fix the other 3D printer.

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of designing, building, launching and chasing 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!

Goddard Teacher Training Day 2

Teachers and others in the program probably already know this, but it was news to me. That was either because I have just missed it in conversation before today, or the fact just never came up. Maybe I should have known, but then I am not a teacher, just a crazy, addicted volunteer that loves and supports the program. The technical term is Rocket Junky! What didn’t I know, well the fact that they only do the Goddard level training every four years!!!!!

Doug Underwood, actually gave me that piece of information today. He is seen here with his materials laid out as the lecture resumes after their lunch break.

Not all schools participate in this level of the program. One reason is because these vehicles are expensive to build. It also requires extra travel for the students and schools, and the only window for launch is a month after the students have graduated and school has dismissed. Most schools stay at the Tsiolkovsky and Oberth levels. Therefore training every year is not always necessary or cost effective. That is my take on the why. Of course, SystemsGo may have more specific reasons for their why.

Either way, at first I was stunned and wondered, how can that be? But, knowing just what I do know, taking the things I have mentioned into account and the fact that not every school that does the Goddard program comes to WSMR to launch every year, it could be made sense of rather quickly.

Today the Goddard class was training on Propulsion. Engineering teacher, Andrew Matthes was manning the presentations, leading the discussions and taking questions again.

Here are a few things I heard in my 30 minutes in class today. Do not expect these session to be perfect and totally technically on because, I am not an engineer, though if I could go back and do this stuff I would. I am just a writer and volunteer for the program that loves to soak up all that I can like a sponge and throw it out there for the many more rocket junkies like me, including other students, teachers, rocket followers, etc. so that we may all have a piece of the action and involvement. First and foremost I love to bring more light to the program in any way I can. And have some fun with all I see, hear and learn.

That being said, here is my bit of today’s lessons. There was much discussion about the fuel grain and how it reacts with Nitrous and Oxygen. Specifically how the vapor off the surface of the fuel grain burns with the oxidizer to create combustion. Hot expanding gasses were a topic at this point, which brought forth a quote about hot gasses from the movie, October Sky!

I tried to locate the exact quote, and it did speak about the necessity of the nozzle in the design and how it directs the flow of hot gasses. Of course the comments in the movie went south after hot gasses.

The class went on to discuss fuel grain flow designs. The first of which is pictured here:

This lead to discussions about expansion within the fuel grain, as well as pressure changes, flow rate changes and various other effects as it burns. One such example that is likely with a single port is that the port gets larger as it burns. This changes the Mass Flow Rate also causing the DOF to get larger.

Another comment mentioned was that with only one port, the expansion creates two separate sides to the fuel grain, kind of like two separate pieces of wood burning, which also changes the potential of the propulsion.

According to some in the class, “Two sticks burn better than one!” Chris McLeod, said that I definitely needed to include that comment in today’s blog, so there you have it.

The anatomy of fuel grains and what works well and does not,

as well as nozzle designs were also touched on while I was present, as seen in the pictures shown above and below.

At the beginning of class the internet was down. Apparently it is an intermittent problem. Mr. Matthes made a call and it restored quickly. Jerry, the FISD, IT guy stopped by to check. He said the server had actual gone off momentarily. Some of you might remember him from Willow City a few years back. He brought his drones out to help aide recovery.

Yesterday, someone commented that they wanted to see who else was in attendance besides, Chris McLeod, so here maybe you can make out a few more people. Rhonda Baker is one you might know.

SystemsGo Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt was there when I first arrived, but left quickly to address some issues back at the office.

The same seven teachers were present for training again today. As previously noted they are from Birdville Career and Tech Center, RL Turner, Union Grove, Brazoswood, Booker T Washington, and Jal High Schools.

Today, most of the photos are already included, but I thought this one could be of some interest since the discussion is Goddard rockets. It is the aft end of an old Goddard vehicle. Not a clue if it belongs to a FHS Red Bird or some other school, but it is a prime example of how success often comes to you in pieces.

IMG_6753

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!

Goddard Teacher Training Day 1

Goddard training began today with FHS Engineer teacher, Andrew Matthes directing the class.

SystemsGo Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt, sitting in the back where she was able to add in information or examples as needed. SystemsGo Regional Director, Doug Underwood was also in attendance.

Seven teachers were present for training. Most were from schools around Texas including Birdville Career and Tech Center, RL Turner, Union Grove, Brazoswood, and Booker T Washington High Schools, and one from Jal High School in New Mexico.

I watched and listen for about 40 minutes today, during which, Chris Madsen, NASA JSC, Orion Entry GN&C Systems Manager skyped in to present The SystemsGo Goddard 6-DOF Inputs session of the training.

As I listened to discussions including center of mass, Roll, Yall and Pitch, metric and standard measurement uses, weight balance across the vehicle, just to mention a small fraction of the information being presented, I was really wishing I had brought a folder for notes and not just a camera. I definitely wish I could have stayed for the full presentation as this program and all they do, never ceases to amaze and fascinate me.

Here are a few more pics. Not too much different, but I will check in on them again tomorrow to see if there is more of interest to report.

IMG_6740 IMG_6733

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!

Rockets 2022-Begins With Teacher Training

Rockets 2021 has barely ended as the Team and students returned home from launches at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, on June 27th, and July already starts a new year.

Rockets 2022 begins with SystemsGo Teacher Training for the 2021/2022 school year.  22 Schools from Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado will be participating in training on all levels of the program at locations in both Texas and New Mexico.

July 12-16 kicks off these educational events at the Goddard level. FHS Program teacher, Andrew Matthes, will conduct this event in the Fredericksburg High School Engineering Department classroom.

Five teachers from Texas high schools, including Birdville Career and Tech Center, RL Turner, Union Grove, Brazoswood, and Booker T Washington High Schools, and one from Jal High School in New Mexico will attend and secure certification to teach the curriculum at their respective schools this fall. This first week of training encompasses the senior level rockets which launch at White Sands Missile Range. It is the final and highest level of the program. These vehicles are designed to reach 50,000 feet.

July 19-23, four schools will train on the Tsiolkovsky level at Artesia Administration Building in Artesia, New Mexico. Canon City High School from Colorado, and Logan, Elida, and Animas High Schools all from New Mexico will all train with Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt.  These classes are 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.

The following weekend, July 24-25, two teachers will train on the Oberth level also at the Artesia Administration Building in Artesia, New Mexico. One is from the West Texas school of Fabens and the other from Canon City in Colorado.  Regional Coordinator, Doug Underwood, will conduct these trainings. July 31- August 1 he will be in Fredericksburg training Texas teachers on this same level.  Hollenstein, Georgetown and McGregor High Schools will be in attendance in Fredericksburg.  This level teaches students in the Junior and Senior years on the Transonic rockets, which are designed to break the speed of sound.

The next week will be 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 will attend this session in Fredericksburg.

The first week in August, PD Hyatt will also be conducting webinars for teachers needing the Intro to Engineering training. These teachers generally work with eighth and ninth graders just starting in the program, which teaches the Research Design and Development Loop as well as the history and basics of rocketry. These are two hour working web trainings that are scheduled as needed. Currently there is only one on Wednesday, August 4th, but a second may be added later.

Covid caused many schools and teachers to drop the program last year. Fortunately, many are returning this year and at least five new schools have been added. SystemsGo is glad to see this uptick in the program.

The more schools and teachers mean many more students involved, and with that many more potential career paths in the STEM fields.

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!

Saturday, Rockets 2021-WSMR Launch Day Report Mission Complete

Three schools tested rockets at White Sands Missile Range today. Brazoswood, Alamo Heights and Union Grove comprised that list. All three rockets left the rail. Some flights were not optimal but they were off the rail.

The big winner of the day, was first up, Brazoswood High School. They had a slow lift off but a good burn, eventually picking up speed and altitude for a beautiful flight, sailing off the rail. They flew to a considerable height and distance before landing somewhere down range. Unfortunately, WSMR, was not able to lock on radar due to technical issues and lost it before impact.  They are actively looking for it but had not located it by the time  we called mission complete for the day. 

Visual estimates by some WSMR personnel on the ground, put it over 30,000 feet. Our WSMR photographer, Mike says he thinks it is the best flight since Fredericksburg High School’s record of 36,000′. He has seen every launch the program has made over the past 22 years. Bare in mind this is only speculation at this point.

Unfortunately we will have to wait on actual information until they find the rocket. Either way it was an awesome flight! Congratulations Brazoswood and Chris McLeod, their teacher. Great first time up, as their new instructor. The opening picture for this blog today is the Brazoswood rocket at Stage 2 on Friday.

Alamo Heights was the second launch. They had problems with leaks in their Nitrous fill lines. Several attempts were made by SystemsGo personnel to correct this but it continued to fail.  One of the students from the team came in and continued work and was able to correct the issue.

At 12:31 the vehicle went for launch. It did ignite, but then barely left the rail.  It lost the nosecone right after lift off, but then laid over and flew horizontally, nose diving into the ground about  100 yards down the road from the pad where the altimeter bay housing dug into the ground. The impact sent the body tube away where it landed across the road another 30′ plus feet away.

This vehicle was the only and the easiest recovery of the day. Fortunately there was only minimal damage to the new launch rail. Alamo Heights was the first test for this new rail.

Union Grove was the third and final launch of the day. They made the call to continue launch even though SystemsGo could not confirm that the altimeter was armed and active. This meant no deployment of their recovery system. At this point this was an allowable concession in order to fly.

At 2:15 they filled and went for launch. They lifted off nicely but nosed over and continued down range flying horizontally instead of up. The rocket eventually dove into the ground quite a distance away. A chute with only the nosecone attached  was seen deploying as it hit. It tunneled across the ground for a while before it too was lost. Even though several on the ground were able to follow it to impact, WSMR has still not located and recovered it. The search will be ongoing.

Deputy Test Center Commander, Jerry Tyree, from White Sands Missile Range, visited the launch site today. He  brought family along to show them what we do here. It was a treat for SystemsGo staff, students and teachers whom he visited with at both locations.

Mission was called complete by WSMR at 5:16 p.m. today! This officially ended the Rockets 2021 season.

Thanks to White Sands Missile Range for once again allowing this program to be tested on the range. 

Tomorrow the SystemsGo team will be traveling home again. Some of the younger pad crew are staying around to see some of the sites in the area, including the White Sands Monument. 

Training for this year’s new rocket teachers in the program will take place the last three weeks in July.  

We will see you again next year for the Texas Rocket Trail 2022. In the upcoming year watch for interesting high lights from 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.

#Rockets2021 #TexasRocketTrail #EyesonTheSkies