Day 5 Space Camp: Rockets to the Moon, Or At Least the Trees

One of the activities I really enjoyed during this week was building rockets. I hadn’t previously built this type of rocket before, water bottle rockets (which I still haven’t mastered) and balloon rockets, yes, but actual rockets with engines that you launch off in a field, was a first for me. The overall experience and excitement of building reminded me of the book The Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam. The rockets we used were by Estes Rockets, a renowned manufacturer of innovative hobby products for the model rocket industry. Homer made his own out of any spare parts in his garage that he could find. Regardless, I still had that giddy feeling when putting together my rocket.

            The main parts of a model rocket are the body tube, engine holder assembly, fins, launch lug, nose cone, shock cord and recovery system. Model rockets are made of lightweight materials like paper, balsa wood and plastic. The body tube is the main structure of the rocket which determines the main shape of the rocket itself and is usually, but not always, long and slender. All other parts are attached to the body tube in some way. The engine holder assembly holds the engine in place inside the rocket. Fins when glued on correctly give directional stability and help the rocket fly straight. The launch lug is the hollow tube that slips over the launch rod. The nose cone is attached to the top of the rocket and is tapered to cut through the air more efficiently and reduce drag, which is the aerodynamic force that opposes motion through the air. The rubber shock cord attaches the nose cone to the body tube so the rocket is recovered in one piece. The recovery system returns the rocket to the ground, hopefully. At least, that’s the plan if the conditions are ideal and the wind doesn’t take your rocket into the trees.

         

  We each received our own kits that we were responsible for putting together, attaching the shock cord, fins, and parachute, and then we were allowed to decorate our rockets. There personality of each teacher really comes through here. We went crazy with the spray paint each trying to out-do the other with our personality and designs. Some went for the bright and bold colors that would stand out with neon yellow, others were green, some were red, gold, black, blue, whatever color that person desired. One teacher even insisted on putting ducks on hers so she could launch ducks in space.

            If you think about it from a teaching point of view it’s  for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, Newton’s Third Law that plays out. On launch day, we were like excited school kids heading over to Homer Hickam field, named for Homer Hickam, NASA engineer and author of several books including Back to the Moon and The Rocket Boys. Of course Honeywell’s media team was present to photograph and film the international students. One by one our rockets were lined up and we were given numbers. One by one we watched the rockets launch high into the sky - demonstrating principals of thrust, drag, and just plain awesomeness. One by one we watched as each rocket reached its maximum height, and then it’s decent back to earth. Some of the group was even lucky enough to retrieve their rockets, while sadly, others went to the Rocket Hall of Fame, otherwise known as the trees.

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            Sadly, my rocket, which I lovingly christened Comet, was lost forever in the Rocket Hall of Fame, otherwise known as the trees, along with several of my comrades. I will remember Comet fondly, sniff, sniff, and the short but explosive time we had together.