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CONTEST EMAIL ARCHIVESDate: 02/22/2006 Subject: Lime Kiln Middle School - Team 4526 In the News! Lime Kiln Middle School -Team 4526 In the News!
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Is it possible to shoot a rocket 800 feet in the air with an egg inside, have it stay up for just under a minute and return to earth with the egg intact?
Some Lime Kiln Middle School students are trying to find out. Five seventh-graders from the school's Gifted and Talented science class are working on just such a rocket for a nationwide competition known as the 2006 Team America Rocketry Challenge.
Led by David Zuchero, the father of team member Matt Zuchero, the group has been working on its model since December. The program is sponsored by teachers Ella Jordan and Tracy Spillman.
The program came to being after David Zuchero talked to a neighbor about what students could do besides sports and other activities. Zucheron then found out about the rocketry challenge on the Internet. So he approached the school about it and they decided to sponsor it.
"I said, 'Let's give this a try.' They have to design it, build it, they have to use their hands," Zuchero said.
More than 600 teams from across the country are taking part in the competition, which requires the teams to design, construct and successfully fly a rocket. Their creation has to carry a raw egg as close to 800 feet in the air as possible, stay aloft for 45 seconds and then return to earth with the egg unbroken.
Should they successfully make a qualifying launch, which must be observed by a designated official of the rocketry challenge by April 9, the team would be one of 100 teams invited to the finals in Great Meadow, Va. to compete for $60,000 in May.
Team members Matt Zuchero, Ben Gulliford, Michael Peters, Corey Schwab and Tommy Zhang meet at the Zuchero residence each week to work on their model.
Each member focuses on one part of the plan, which includes fundraising to cover costs of building the rocket and possible travel costs; propulsion, or researching the proper engines needed for launch; tracking and recovery, which is determining the proper parachute for landing and system for recovering the rocket; payload and electronics, which includes protecting the egg; and airframe and stability, which involves learning how to properly design the rocket.
"These guys are having fun with what they are doing and they are all working on their part of it. They are having a good time, joking around, but they are focused on making this happen," Zuchero said.
The project is not only a fun experience, but the students are also getting to use and hone their math and science skills, learning about force and gravity, calculating acceleration and applying other principles. They also get to practice their learning by actually working on an activity, which has been the fun part, said Gulliford.
"We get to do a lot of hands-on stuff, like fire off the rocket and we got to drop eggs to see if they cracked and that was real messy and fun," said Gulliford.
"We also get extra credit points," added Zhang as to why they are enjoying the project.
The team has been using a computer software program to help them design the rocket, figuring out how to make it aerodynamic, what type of engine it will take to get it to the required height and size of parachute to keep it aloft the required time.
"The most difficult part so far was coming up with a design to meet the three contest goals," said Matt Zuchero.
In the end, they have a model made of wood, cardboard and small electronics. A test model has already been shot, with the rocket getting up to just over 600 feet, which the team members thought was good for a first attempt.
With several more attempts in front of them before the qualifying launch, the team still has a great deal of work to do. However, they seem to be optimistic about their chances.
"I think we can get to the finals," said Gulliford.
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