The decision to build and launch rockets as a science endeavor is easy. Building rockets is an inspiring and engaging means for students to learn Physics, Chemistry and Engineering. Through alignment of our organizational goal to push the boundaries of what we can do with students and perform authentic work at the frontiers of human achievement, we’ve made a decision – We will launch rockets!
Our Rocketry Research Program is grounded in the effort to construct the most sophisticated vehicles humans have ever conceived. Our research builds upon itself through ongoing and sequential projects as we progress towards our ultimate goal of designing, constructing, and successfully launching a rocket into Earth’s orbit. As projects complete, they serve to augment our offerings for student space and science initiatives.
Students who work with us will typically begin with a small scale balsa rocket build in order to gain an understanding of the fundamentals of rocket science, combustion, and Newton’s Laws of Motion. The second tier consists of building every component of a small scale amateur rocket. These are typically made of plied paper, however, students are free to use their imagination. Every component from the fuselage, ejection and recovery system, fins, nose-cone, and rocket engine are constructed by our students. The final tier moves students into true amateur rocketry. The work moves on to working on an metallic fuselage with a solid sugar grain fuel. These rockets can go as high as 5,000 feet or higher depending on the design and build.
Along the way students learn complex mathematics that underlies rocket science, as well as engineering, design, physics, and chemistry.
Check back here for updates on current and archived student work.