How to grow a tech-based student rocket competition
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How to grow a tech-based student rocket competition By Peter Plumley 2007 Northeast Regional Space Grant Meetings September 7th 2007
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How to grow a tech-based student rocket competition. By Peter Plumley 2007 Northeast Regional Space Grant Meetings September 7th 2007. Growth of design, build and compete events. Exponential growth in teams participating in The CNY Rocket Team Challenge. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of How to grow a tech-based student rocket competition
How to grow a tech-based student rocket competition
By Peter Plumley2007 Northeast Regional Space Grant Meetings September 7th 2007
Growth of design, build and compete events
Participating Rocket Teams
0102030405060708090
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
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Participating Bridge Teams
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80100120
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180200
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
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f T
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Exponential growth in teams participating in The CNY Rocket Team Challenge.
Linear growth in number of teams participating in Bridge Build’em and Bust’em.
CNY Rocket Team Challenge• Five years running
– October Skies (1st year college freshman)
– CNY Rocket Team Challenge• Spring HS program 2003
• Expanded to 4th – 12th in 2006
Current Program Boundaries• Organized by MOST, SU (LCSmith) and TACNY• Major sponsorship by LMCO & NASA Space Grant• Divisions
– Middle school/Junior High 4th - 8th – High school 9th – 12th
• Launch Sequence - First Saturday in June– flies with altimeter, eggstronaut, on-board audio and
video camera transmitter• Use rocket simulation software to assist in design and to
simulate performance and stability• Judging
– Aesthetics, Presentation, Successful flight, payload recovery, and accuracy in estimating apogee
Rocket Stability
• Center of Mass (CM or CG)– during flight, point about which an unstable rocket tumbles.– Three axes of rotation
• Center of Pressure (CP)– In the presence of flowing air, that point of equal stress
CM must be forward of the CPor rocket will be unstable!
Roll
YawPitch
Recording AltimetersChittenango High School
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0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0
Time (Seconds)
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Altimeter Readings
Audible peak reporting with full flight logging and download.
Demonstration High Power Rocket Project
• ¾ scale Nike Sounding Rocket
• Schools invited to design and build payloads
• 150 Pound lift, 8,000 ft apogee possible
• Live GPS tracking
with google earth.
Predicted Apogee – 5500Recorded - 5416
Altimeter Readings
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Time (Seconds)
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Elevation
Rocket Video’s• Example of rocket project without LMCO
support.
X-Treme X-plorers
• Rocket project with LMCO & NASA Space Grant support!
Growth due to:
• Pizza
• T-Shirts
• High Tech & Large Scale
