Launch your own rockets into orbits with Space Trek's Rocketry camp

Commercial Space flight companies have taken rocket launching tech to a whole new level with SpaceX's Falcon rocket landing back on earth making history. Other than sending successful missions to Space and International Space Station, NASA is again invested in the idea of reusability after the Space Shuttle era. Since rockets are the vehicle for all missions to ISS, moons and planets, they are the most crucial part of any mission. Besides huge investments, successfully launching a rocket into the required orbit could have human life implication during a manned mission.

Have you wondered what does it take to send such a massive machine to such far off precise destination into outer space? How all aspects of science come together to lift off a heavy rocket off the earth and launch towards the stars? How NASA tests its rockets before putting precious cargo and humans on the biggest journey of humankind? What makes a rocket fail and what are the perfect conditions to launch a rocket?

As simple gunpowder machines, rockets were one of the most potent offensive device in wars. Their evolution into giant vehicles with capability of launching into far off distance and delivering goods has went through a lot of experimentation. However, the concepts and physics that moves them remains the same, making it very challenging yet fun to understand their behavior.

When you ask right questions and conduct right kind of research you can find answers to all of these curiosities. However, at Space Trek you can answer them yourself with our specially designed program of Rocketry. Space Trek designs and conducts highly advanced engineering programs for school students focusing all areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education.

Rocketry is one such program where students build their water rockets, launch them in a safe environment under supervision of technical instructors and collect data to study, analyze and understand how a rocket engine works. A complete Space Trek rocket launch experience consists of students working in teams to build a rocket with parts that have been custom-designed and made using 3-D printer in Space Trek's lab.

Student teams are assigned roles akin to a NASA launch team. Every member's position is very is crucial to a successful launch so they work according to their position for rocket assembly, test launch and final rocket launch. After the rocket has been constructed, students test their bottle water rocket in what we call a 'Launch Box'. This device assists students to launch a rocket inside a classroom, inside safety of an enclosed box and gather data that helps them conduct a perfect launch.

Bottle-rocket Engine Thrust Acquisition (BETA) system, a uniquely designed system by Space Trek tech developers is at the core of the Launch Box. This tool is made up of a complex programming using force sensor with signal conditioning to collect data produced by the rocket. This real-time data is then analyzed for application to the rocket launch later.

This system is pretty much akin to how NASA tests its own rockets before launching them into space.

Rocketry inside a box generates highly detailed data about thrust produced and the trajectory followed by the rocket. Testing is followed by launching water rockets in the perfect setting of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's rocket garden. It's time to apply the knowledge gathered in the classroom for a successful launch. Pressure is created in the bottle rockets through air pump and with a touch of a button the rocket is launched.

During the final launch student teams are competing against each other to launch their rockets into directed orbits while trying to not create too much acceleration that could damage the payload. BETA system and flight computer aboard the rocket collects real-time data.

The team with maximum accuracy in the rocketry competition wins the competition and receives medals and every participant receives certificates.

Engineering programs for school students like Rocketry, gives them an insight into how industry professionals actually work. Space Trek motto It's Rocket Science, intends at making STEM learning easy and relatable. When student engineers work on hands-on activities to perform tasks usually impossible to be carried out in environs of an enclosed classroom, their experience of concepts is augmented resulting in better understanding.

We have inspired many students to follow STEM education and careers through our engineering programs. Many educators have also benefitted from our programs and created better curriculums in their respective schools. We make sure that students can live their dreams of being NASA scientists and launch rockets. Besides all the learning and competition, the USP of our programs is the immense amount of fun a child can have during learning everything. And who doesn't want to launch some rockets into the air. Launching rockets is fun!