Students launch rockets into the sky

Published Nov. 4, 2011
By Connie Rankin
377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

KIRTLAND AFB -- Students from nine New Mexico schools launched 23 rockets Oct. 25 more than 2,000 feet into the sky. Teams assembled at the Albuquerque Rocket Society's launch site in Rio Rancho.

The sixth- and seventh-grade students are part of the Air Force Research Laboratory La Luz Academy's Technology Engineering Challenges Flight program.

"This activity provides students with an opportunity to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Ronda Cole, director of La Luz Academy. "They get to see Newton's laws in action and also collect real-world data regarding the altitude and range of the rockets. Students also find out that each duty assignment for each team member contributes to the successful launch of their rocket."

Before launch day, each team of 12 to 16 students built their rockets at the AFRL Las Luz Academy on Kirtland Air Force Base. Each team builds the same rocket. The rocket consists of a payload section, booster and motor mount. The teams use RockSim software to run a simulation to determine the altitude and range for their rockets under various permissible wind conditions. The students also go through a safety briefing and launch day procedures.

On launch day, each team member is assigned to a specific duty, such as range safety officer, launch control officer, pad manager, data manager, assembly and inspection, meteorology spotter, and recovery. When students arrive at the launch site, they sign in, get their duty badge and pick up their rockets to install the parachute, altimeter and the motor.

The rockets are launched in waves of three. The recovery team for each rocket goes out to find their rocket after each wave and bring it back to the dismantling table. The students analyze the data from their altimeters and data manager sheet when they return to AFRL's La Luz Academy for the third and final day of the program.

"From the beeping I heard on the altimeter of one of the rockets at the dismantling table, I am able to confirm that the rocket did go slightly higher than 2,000 feet," said Cole.

The students came from Bosque School, Christ Lutheran School, Cleveland Middle School, Eagle Ridge Middle School, Jimmy Carter Middle School, Queen of Heaven School, Truman Middle School, Valencia Middle School and Van Buren Middle School.

The AFRL La Luz Academy is part of the Directed Energy and Space Vehicles Directorates' education outreach efforts for New Mexico students from 5th through 12th grades.

The programs include the 5th-grade Mars Mission Flight, the 5th- and 6th-grade DOD Starbase Flight, the 6th- and 7th-grade TECH Flight, the 8th-grade robot Systems Engineering Flight, and the Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Challenge Flight for high school participants. The programs are designed to get youth interested in math and science.