GOSHEN —
Two Goshen High School model rocket teams had impressive performances May 12 during the 2012 Team America Rocketry Challenge in Virginia.
Of the two teams that qualified to attend the national rocketry competition, the GHS Red team, beat out the top 23 teams in the country to secure the Best Mission Design award as well as a sixth-place finish in the flight competition. Members of the Red team include: Ben Wiebe, Stephen Place, Emily Ankrom, Paul Johnson and Burke Herr.
Also having a strong performance was the GHS Black team, which secured a 14th-place finish in the flight competition. Members of the Black team include: Caleb VanderRyden, Alex Podgorski, Ben Shelly, Thomas Miller, Clancy Short, Peter Myer Reimer, Josh Gill and Parker Collins.
“About 650 teams from all across the United States, including the Virgin Islands, participate each year,” GHS teacher Ken Horst said of the competition. “Of those 650 teams, the top 100 teams that score the best on what we call qualifying flights are invited to this national event.”
Scores at the event are based on how closely each of those 100 teams get to meeting the goals set for the 2012 contest. Those goals included reaching a flight altitude of 800 feet and a descent time with parachute of between 43 to 47 seconds while carrying a payload of two raw eggs. What’s more, all of this has to be done with a rocket weighing just 19 ounces or less and powered by a limited-size rocket motor.
“The competition actually started back in 2003 in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers flight as a way to get kids involved in science and engineering,” Horst said. “This whole event is run by the National Association of Rocketry, and it’s sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association.”
After all 100 teams had completed their first flight, both GHS teams had secured spots in the top three, Horst said. The top 24 teams were then required to launch a second time, and the two flight scores were combined to come up with the final result.
“The Red team’s sixth place finish earned them a $3,000 scholarship plus another $2,000 for the school to help support the program,” Horst said. “And of course we got a trophy too.”
Horst said he’s incredibly proud of the performances of both teams, noting that GHS rocket teams have qualified for the national competition six times since 2002, four of which were in the top 10.
“I’m very proud of both teams,” Horst said. “We’ve had a good run.”
In addition to the Team America Rocketry contest, the GHS rocket club’s strong record since its inception 10 years ago has also given club members the chance to participate in a more rigorous contest called the Student Launch Initiative sponsored by NASA both in 2004 and again in 2011. Through the NASA program, high school and university groups are able to assist in the design of higher-powered rockets that are used to collect scientific data.
Top sponsors of the GHS Rocket Club include local Subway restaurants and the JACOBS Engineering and Science Contract Group.
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In blue shirts and white hats, GHS rocket Club members preparing for a launch are, from left: Caleb VanderRyden, Alex Podgorski, Ben Shelly, Thomas Miller, Clancy Short and Peter Myer Reimer.
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