Budding young engineers from Kate Smith Elementary School spent time at Florida Panhandle Technical College (FPTC) Wednesday afternoon learning more about rockets and their role in the future.
by Kathy Foster
Guests of Kathy Nelson, FPTC Volunteer STEM Coordinator, along with John Hansel – The Rocket Guy from Lynn Haven, the students had the opportunity to build and launch their own miniature rockets and fly drones while on campus at the Technical College in Chipley.
They also received assistance from FPTC students involved in the Team America Rocketry Challenge who are preparing for National Competition.
This 12-member team, under the guidance of Hansel, is using their science and engineering know-how to further hone their engineering skills as they prepare for their future vocations.
After constructing miniature rockets from straws and paper, the KSES students took turns launching their rockets with the goal of landing it in a bucket filled with candy. Whenever they met that goal they were permitted to take a piece of candy out of the and that was incentive enough to keep them refining the trajectory of their rocket.
Along with the lesson in the science of rocketry, the KSES students had the opportunity to fly drones. (A fairly new program at the Technical College and one which is quickly becoming well known.) This was another opportunity the students fully enjoyed.
The Florida Panhandle Technical College Team America Rocketry Challenge will be competing in a National Challenge April 2nd and dealing with some challenging rules including the following:
- All rockets must be built and flown in accordance with the Model Rocket Safety Code of the National Association of Rocketry.
- Rockets must not exceed 650 grams gross weight at liftoff.
- Every portion of the rocket must return to earth safely connected together, and at a velocity that presents no hazard.
