The Rockwall-Heath High School Nighthawk Rocketry Team represented Heath with honor in the high power launch this past weekend at the NASA Marshall Space and Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. They designed and built a high power rocket to go one mile high while carrying a scientific payload. The payload consisted of an Arduino micro-controller that they programmed to measure temperature, pressure and ozone levels at specific altitudes. The team spent the last eight months submitting reports and presenting their work through WebEx conference calls with NASA Engineers.
Their weekend in Huntsville began with a Launch Readiness Review. During the review, their rocket was thoroughly inspected by a member of the NAR (National Association of Rocketry) to receive certification to launch. The rocket had an excellent flight to just over one mile. The drogue and main opened properly and at the correct altitudes and the rocket safely landed in an open field. The team is currently analyzing the data collected by the Arduino.
The Rocket Team also attended a presentation about the Space Launch System (SLS) project which NASA is working on. This project’s ultimate goal is to put astronauts on Mars. The craft is twice as big as the International Space Station. A tour of NASA’s Marshall Space and Flight Center was a highlight of the event. NASA engineers showed the Rocket team how CT scanners and 3D printers are being used with the creation of rockets and this technology allows for design flexibility. A rocket fair was held allowing our team to showcase their rocket. The team talked about their project with the NASA employee’s and other VIP’s who were in attendance.
The RHHS is currently taking applications to join our competitive team and our SLP team. If you are a student at RHHS and would like to join this exciting team, please contact Mrs. Vogel at susan.vogel@rockwallisd.org.