Tighten those seatbelts and prepare to blast off for the ultimate experience in rocketry. If you like (harmlessly) blasting objects into the lower atmosphere, if you are intrigued with (benign) explosives and/or you love to make things go (safely) “boom,” this is the class for you!
What's On The Menu
You will learn how to build and launch:
- Water Rockets
- Balloon Rockets
- Seltzer Rockets
- Bottle Rockets
- Solid-Fuel Rockets
- And, compete in the Mission to Mars Challenge
While this class is all about fun, you’ll also be learning a lot of hands-on, applied physics and math while you’re building those rockets. Over the course of this program, you will test different nose cone and fin designs, try out various payloads and track flight paths and altitudes as you fly your various rockets. You will also learn about kinematics, vectors, projectile motion, Newton’s laws of motion, the chemistry of combustion reactions, aerodynamics and stability. And, with every 3-2-1-Liftoff!, you will be a step closer to becoming a true rocket scientist!
Then, on the final day, we will tackle the “Mission to Mars.” For this exciting challenge, we will take your solid-fuel rockets for a test flight at a local park. Invite your family, bring a picnic and get ready for the wildest, coolest blast off yet. We will set up launch pads, a control station and see if you can get your rockets to Mars – or, at least, to a variety of height and distance targets. It’s sure to be a blast – literally and figuratively.