The middle school and high school teams must launch their rockets at least a mile in the air, deploy onboard science experiments, and land safely using a system of recovery parachutes. This may be a simple task for NASA engineers, but it is a thrilling challenge for a novice group of teenagers.
Eight students from Spring Grove Area High School in Spring Grove, PA were one of seven teams selected from a pool of high schools across the country. About 3 years ago, the Spring Grove Rocket Science rocketry team placed fourth in the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), securing them eligibility to participate in the NASA Student Launch Program. The following year, after their proposal was approved, the students built a seven-foot long rocket, which they successfully launched near Huntsville.
Unfortunately, NASA cut the high school and middle school portion of the program last year; however, it didn’t stop the team from designing and building another rocket. “Just as we were about to submit our proposal, [NASA] announced they were cutting the high school portion of the competition,” explains Brian Hastings, Spring Grove Area High School physics instructor and head coach of the team. “So we decided to do our own project. We built a six-inch diameter rocket.”
After an announcement that the Student Launch event would again be open to high schools and middle schools this year, the team was ecstatic. They submitted their proposal in August and were soon after selected to participate.
Detailing the Project
Before the team even began to think about building the rocket, it had to prove to NASA that its concept was durable, safe, and flightworthy. “NASA doesn’t spare us at all,” says Hastings. “We essentially had to go through all the steps that anyone who tries to sell a product or tool to NASA would.” One of these steps included composing four 50 to 75 page long papers, describing all aspects of the rocket.
“Not only am I gaining the skills to build a rocket, but I’m also improving my writing skills,” explains Kyle Abrahims, Spring Grove Area High School Student Launch team co-captain. “We’re detailing every aspect of the project, diagramming the rocket on the computer, and writing reports. It’s one thing building a rocket, but an entirely different challenge trying to explain it to another person.”
The team completed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR), a Critical Design Review (CDR), a Flight Readiness Review (FRR), and a Launch Readiness Review (LRR). These reports might sound daunting, but the high school students had a strong team of advisees to guide their decisions. NASA provided a Q&A session prior to writing the reports, and a National Association of Rocketry (NAR) mentor, Robert DeHate, also counseled the team throughout the design and construction process. After completing each review, the Rocket Scientists presented their findings to a board of NASA scientists through an online meeting.
The team of eight students was broken up into areas of focus, ranging from 3D design and payload to budgeting and educational outreach. In fact, one of the requirements from NASA is educational engagement. “We’ve done presentations for local seventh and eighth grade classes,” explains Hastings. “The interested students will be attending rocket-building workshops and will get to build a small scale rocket with the help of our team members.”
Construction
Although the Spring Grove NASA Student Launch team is primarily composed of juniors and seniors, younger students are encouraged to get involved. “My first year of rocketry was my tenth grade year,” says Wyatt Nace, Spring Grove Area High School Student Launch team co-captain (now senior). “When I started it was a hobby, but over the years it became more of a passion for me, and something I want to do in the future as a career.”
In fact, the students have gained many skills that can be applied toward a STEM career. One of the co-captains designed parts of the rocket in Solidworks, and the fin brackets were even 3D printed on the school’s MakerBot Replicator 2 using polyactic acid (PLA). According to Hastings, the fin brackets are not available anywhere else in the industry. The design is similar to a ring with three brackets that slide on the back half of the rocket, and it’s completely modular.
Because the print bed of the MakerBot was not large enough to bring the entire fin bracket, it had to be printed in two six-inch long parts that have tabs that can slide into each other to form an 11-inch long bracket. In addition to 3D printed fin brackets, the students also 3D printed part of its scientific payload – a 13-inch long object, with an exterior 3.78-inch diameter phenolic coupler tube. The payload is made of three compartments, each separated by a sealed 3D printed bulkhead, and within each section are three altimeters.
