November 31st, 2013
We have began to meet and have worked on the design stages of the rocket for this upcoming school year. The preliminary proposal is up under the reports page to check out our latest design and see what we have in store for this year.
Quick Rocket Facts:
We have began to meet and have worked on the design stages of the rocket for this upcoming school year. The preliminary proposal is up under the reports page to check out our latest design and see what we have in store for this year.
Quick Rocket Facts:
- 6 inch diameter tube
- Payload for this year will be measuring radiation difference between the ground and the atmosphere 1 to 2 miles high along with a measuring accelerometer of the rockets current and launch pad velocity
- Over 8 feet in length
- Made from highly durable carbon fiber tubing along with a fiberglass fin display
March 15th, 2014
We are currently in the process of completing our rocket. We have begun work after school every day and have began to epoxy fins, build cases for our payload and began to test the electronics bay that will fire our rockets' parachutes out of the two deployment areas. Work has only begun and within the next couple of weeks, the body will be taken for paint and the final assembly process will be complete. Check back for more details on the project, and pictures will soon be uploaded.
We are currently in the process of completing our rocket. We have begun work after school every day and have began to epoxy fins, build cases for our payload and began to test the electronics bay that will fire our rockets' parachutes out of the two deployment areas. Work has only begun and within the next couple of weeks, the body will be taken for paint and the final assembly process will be complete. Check back for more details on the project, and pictures will soon be uploaded.
March 26th, 2014
The rocket is currently close to being completed. The rocket as of today has been sent out to the painters' and the payload and electronics bay are the only two portions of the rocket that have work yet to be completed. Please enjoy photos of our work up to this point!!
The rocket is currently close to being completed. The rocket as of today has been sent out to the painters' and the payload and electronics bay are the only two portions of the rocket that have work yet to be completed. Please enjoy photos of our work up to this point!!
April 8th, 2014
The Rocket has just come back from Resuwrection Auto Body, who graciously donated their painting services to us to paint the rocket to our new paint scheme. Team members have just recieved their polos and the rocket has been painted to a very nice, gloss black color with red fins. Team photos will be posted to the website and the rocket will soon be ready to launch. Some last minute checks on the electronics bay, payload, and the installation of launch lugs are all that are left before we leave for Price, Maryland this coming weekend.
The Rocket has just come back from Resuwrection Auto Body, who graciously donated their painting services to us to paint the rocket to our new paint scheme. Team members have just recieved their polos and the rocket has been painted to a very nice, gloss black color with red fins. Team photos will be posted to the website and the rocket will soon be ready to launch. Some last minute checks on the electronics bay, payload, and the installation of launch lugs are all that are left before we leave for Price, Maryland this coming weekend.
April 11th, 2014
The Launch Day is here. Wish us luck as we head to Price, Maryland tomorrow to launch our monster 8 foot long, 29.3 pound weighing rocket!!!!
The Launch Day is here. Wish us luck as we head to Price, Maryland tomorrow to launch our monster 8 foot long, 29.3 pound weighing rocket!!!!
04.16.14
A Report from our Student Launch Initiative Team by Brian Hastings
On Saturday April 12 we had beautiful weather at the launch site. The rocket on the pad weighed 38 pounds, a bit more than predicted. For the first launch, we used the L1350 C-Star motor that has an impulse of 4400 Newton - seconds. The flight was beautiful and perfectly straight. The height reached was 5,956 feet, a bit more than the predicted 5800 feet. We were not able to gather any data on the Labquest in the scientific payload though, because it stopped taking data before the actual launch.
On the second launch, we used the L3200 Vmax motor which has slightly less total impulse but burns much faster. The rocket was pulling about 30gs coming off the pad. The rocket took off perfectly straight and went up approximately 300-400 feet when we had a catastrophic motor failure that blew apart the back half of the rocket immediately above the fins, destroying the scientific payload. The motor failure was not due to user error but rather a manufacturer defect.
The full front half of the rocket is intact as well as the two parachutes. Our goal at this point is to secure additional funding, buy a new Labquest and sensor, buy additional parts and rebuild the back half launching again in November 2014.
If the lack of NASA funding and support did not stop us, this will not either. Our resolve is stronger. Please check out the launch day photos on our website under "launches". In the photos you can see a still shot of the motor failure at the last picture in the first row. We also intend to add videos to the website soon:
Members of the SLI team with their shiny '14 rocket. Resuwrecktion Auto Body provided the complimentary custom paint job .
A Report from our Student Launch Initiative Team by Brian Hastings
On Saturday April 12 we had beautiful weather at the launch site. The rocket on the pad weighed 38 pounds, a bit more than predicted. For the first launch, we used the L1350 C-Star motor that has an impulse of 4400 Newton - seconds. The flight was beautiful and perfectly straight. The height reached was 5,956 feet, a bit more than the predicted 5800 feet. We were not able to gather any data on the Labquest in the scientific payload though, because it stopped taking data before the actual launch.
On the second launch, we used the L3200 Vmax motor which has slightly less total impulse but burns much faster. The rocket was pulling about 30gs coming off the pad. The rocket took off perfectly straight and went up approximately 300-400 feet when we had a catastrophic motor failure that blew apart the back half of the rocket immediately above the fins, destroying the scientific payload. The motor failure was not due to user error but rather a manufacturer defect.
The full front half of the rocket is intact as well as the two parachutes. Our goal at this point is to secure additional funding, buy a new Labquest and sensor, buy additional parts and rebuild the back half launching again in November 2014.
If the lack of NASA funding and support did not stop us, this will not either. Our resolve is stronger. Please check out the launch day photos on our website under "launches". In the photos you can see a still shot of the motor failure at the last picture in the first row. We also intend to add videos to the website soon:
Members of the SLI team with their shiny '14 rocket. Resuwrecktion Auto Body provided the complimentary custom paint job .
October 2014
Exciting News!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Press Release (9/12/14)- We have just received word that two of our students have been published into a nationally published rocketry magazine, "Rockets Magazine". We are grateful that they selected our students work to be published into the magazine. Kyle Abrahims' work details the SLI project from last year, while Wyatt Nace details our run at TARC Nationals. Follow the link and sign up, then you can download the magazine for free. The articles are on pages 10 and 23. Thanks for your support. http://www.libertylaunchsystems.com/
P.S - WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ANY SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLITY FOR THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. IF YOU CAN DONATE OR WANT TO HELP PLEASE CONTACT BRIAN HASTINGS at [email protected] !!!!
***STAYED TUNE FOR EXCITING NEWS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE NEWS OF A RETURN TO A NASA RELATED PROJECT FOR 2015.
Exciting News!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Press Release (9/12/14)- We have just received word that two of our students have been published into a nationally published rocketry magazine, "Rockets Magazine". We are grateful that they selected our students work to be published into the magazine. Kyle Abrahims' work details the SLI project from last year, while Wyatt Nace details our run at TARC Nationals. Follow the link and sign up, then you can download the magazine for free. The articles are on pages 10 and 23. Thanks for your support. http://www.libertylaunchsystems.com/
P.S - WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ANY SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLITY FOR THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. IF YOU CAN DONATE OR WANT TO HELP PLEASE CONTACT BRIAN HASTINGS at [email protected] !!!!
***STAYED TUNE FOR EXCITING NEWS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE NEWS OF A RETURN TO A NASA RELATED PROJECT FOR 2015.