Rocketry: It’s not tough, it’s rocket science!

Rocket science is a primary branch of aerospace engineering which is often misunderstood to be very difficult. Although Rockets have come a long way and undergone many evolutions since their invention, the concept behind Rocketry is pretty simple to understand. Often, children lack interest in STEM due to the misconception that it is difficult, but with the right teaching methodology, even Rocketry is a piece of cake. Space Trek offers Rocketry programs for kids at NASA’s very own Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for interested individuals who want a blast-off beginning for a career in STEM.

The Rocketry program is a three-day camp in which participants are taught the basics of Rocketry, including the simple physics that is involved in the workings of a rocket. Additionally, the students will also learn the history of rockets and the anticipated future for them through the eyes of NASA experts. In the Rocketry camp, students will be divided into teams. Each team will be responsible for working together to construct a water rocket. After the construction of the rocket, each individual will be free to choose a role within their group which will be a simulated small scale NASA launch team. All individuals will have their own set of tasks and duties based on their chosen role in the launch team. In this interactive Rocketry program for kids, theory meets experimentation. Participants will collect both theoretical and experimental real-time data from their rockets through experimental launches and gain an experience which is similar to actual rocket engine testing at NASA. The knowledge gained in the Rocketry camp will be put to a final test with the teams competing to launch their rockets into specific orbits, without damaging the payload due to acceleration. The team to achieve the highest accuracy with their constructed rockets will be awarded with medals.

The Rocketry program will follow a thoughtfully crafted curriculum which will be executed via schedules dictating the tasks for each day of the camp. Students will get to construct the water rockets using parts that have been designed, 3D printed and laser cut in the space center’s own fabrication lab. For an enhanced Rocketry experience, students will also get to use the Bottle-rocket Engine Thrust Acquisition (BETA) System which uses a force sensor coupled with signal conditioning and sophisticated programming to collect data from the rocket's engine. All students enrolled in the Rocketry camp will receive certificates for their participation. Through this Rocketry program for kids, children will gain an in-depth understanding of Rocketry with no compromise on the fun. Moreover, the dynamic learning environment will also help develop skills like teamwork, critical and innovative thinking, and creativity through corporate simulation. Rocketry programs for kids at Space Trek is gaining the experiential Rocketry knowledge minus the complications and double the fun.