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Hartwick College Students Launch First Rocket into Space at NASA Facility

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Two students from SUNY Oneonta, Ethan Biles and Jack Millen, spent a week at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility as part of the annual RockOn! workshop, where they collaborated with Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Joshua Nollenberg to build and launch a scientific instrument attached to a rocket into space. The students prepared for the workshop as part of their Physics summer internship course, using numerical methods to solve physics-based problems and understanding the rocket's flight trajectory. On June 26, their team watched as their rocket launched into space, reaching speeds of up to 1000 meters per second.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ethan Biles and Jack Millen, two students from SUNY Oneonta, participated in the RockOn! workshop at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, where they built and launched a scientific instrument attached to a rocket into space.
  • The students spent a week at the workshop, collaborating with Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Joshua Nollenberg and preparing for the launch by using numerical methods to solve physics-based problems.
  • The team used the Hamiltonian technique to develop a series of cost functions that described the rocket's trajectory and mass loss.
  • The rocket used for RockOn! was a two-stage Terrier-Improved Orion sounding model, measuring 40 feet in length and capable of traveling at about 1000 meters per second.
  • The students recovered their equipment after the rocket touched down, collecting data on pressure, temperature, acceleration, gyroscopic movement, magnetism, humidity, and orientation.
  • The RockOn! workshop is an immersive program where college students and faculty collaborate to build scientific instruments, attach them to a rocket, and launch the rocket into space.
  • The workshop is limited to 28 teams, each consisting of two students and one faculty member, with college and university groups competing for a spot in the program.

The students spent the first day of the workshop learning necessary skills, followed by three days of assembly and finally watching their rocket launch on June 26.

Statistics:

  • The rocket used for RockOn! reached speeds of up to 1000 meters per second.
  • The two-stage Terrier-Improved Orion sounding model used for RockOn! measured 40 feet in length.
  • The workshop was attended by 28 teams, each consisting of two students and one faculty member.
  • The students collected data on several physical parameters, including pressure, temperature, acceleration, gyroscopic movement, magnetism, humidity, and orientation.
  • The RockOn! workshop is an annual program sponsored by NASA.

Sources:

  • NASA's RockOn! workshop
  • "Hartwick College Students Launch First Rocket into Space at NASA Facility" (NASA Press Release)
  • Joshua Nollenberg, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, SUNY Oneonta

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