The Rockets 2021 season transitioned to New Mexico this week after three weekends on the Texas Rocket Trail. New Mexico launches are the fourth for the Tsiolkovsky and Oberth levels.

The current rosters list 8 schools participating in the Jal, New Mexico launch, where they will be testing 16 rockets. This is the fourth active year for this venue.
Their numbers in both schools and rockets are down in New Mexico since the 2019 season, just as they were in Texas, due to schools navigating COVID parameters.
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 are closed to public viewing of launches this year. However, the launches will se broadcast on Livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG5OUV944GQ
The launch dates, locations, and schools are also listed here for your convenience or can be found at http://www.systemsgo.org/events/ .
Jal, New Mexico:
- Tuesday, May 11 – Thursday, May 13
- Returning to the launch site on Phillips Hill Road near Jal.
- Schools participating: Fort Sumner HS, Grady HS, Hagerman HS, Jal HS, Lovington HS, Alamogordo HS, Dora HS, Portales HS
- 16 expected rockets for testing
- Tuesday, May 11, 2021
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Jal High School
- 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Alamogordo High School
- 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Dora High School
- Wednesday, May 12th, 2021
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Lovington High School
- 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Ft. Sumner High School
- 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Portales High School
- Thursday, May 13th, 2021
- 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Hagerman High School
- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Grady High School
The sites will be open for admittance at 6:00 a.m. and launches will commence there after.
I am not sure exactly how the time frame on these launches will actually work. The block form of the schedule is a little different than the Texas schedules were. I know in Texas it depended on which schools’ rockets made it through Stages 1, 2, and 3 as to when and what order they launched. In Jal they have a block 3 hour time frame for each school. I don’t really know how all the Stages factor in so it should be interesting to watch how the launches progress through the day.
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 on the Livsestream. Even though spectators and family cannot be there in person, just knowing you are watching them and cheering them on will boost their morale and bolster their success for their vehicles launch. Besides then you still get to see the look on your students’ faces when their vehicle goes up and then is recovered. That alone, is from priceless.
A live feed for the Jal, New Mexico, launches will be provided at www.systemsgo.org .
The senior groups are tentatively scheduled to launch their Goddard level rockets at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico in late June. Right now these are still very tentative. News on this may be available in the next few weeks. 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.
Please watch the SystemsGo website, SystemsGo Facebook page, SystemsGo Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/SystemsGoNews 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! #RideTheSkies #texasrockettrail #Rockets2021 #EyesontheSkies








