There is something really fascinating about watching a rocket launch.
Nerves.
Hope.
Excitement.
Now, imagine if you were a middle school student who designed and built the rocket about to be launched.
That's exactly what's been happening at Krueger's School of Applied Technologies (KSAT).
Seventh-grade Manufacturing students have spent weeks engineering and designing 20-inch rockets. The goal is to get them to fly at least 700 feet into the air.
"To ensure their design would work, students built prototypes. They also wanted to make sure they understood the manufacturing of the rocket," said KSAT Teacher Christin Herrada. "In addition to designing this rocket, the students manufactured all the parts and created rocket kits for the sixth-grade students to use."
The students who designed the rockets spent the past week mentoring and working with the sixth-grade Aerospace students to construct their rockets.
They explained the "why" of their design to the younger kids.
"I really enjoyed being instructed by my former Aerospace students from KSAT," said Herrada. "Overall, I believe students-teaching-students and community mentorship is impactful."
The students love every step of this process.
"I think it's cool to see something we designed get constructed by other KSAT students," said seventh-grader Julian Velazquez.
"Super hands-on and interactive," said sixth-grader Penelope Pim.
Later this month, the students will launch their "Viper" rockets at Kitty Hawk Ultralight Field.
It’s an experience that is sure to be fun and out of this world.
