Middle school students took advantage of relatively mild January temperatures to launch their homemade rockets. The rockets were constructed at home using recycled soda bottles as the fuel tank. Cardboard, paint, duct tape, and other materials were used to create the fins and the nosecone, which held some type of payload.

Students were instructed to limit the weight and drag while increasing the thrust and lift. Students also learned to use a clinometer to determine the height of the flight.

The rockets were placed on a launch pad outdoors, filled with water and air to 120 pounds per square inch, and launched high into the air. Many of the rockets were blown off course and ended up the woods next to the school.

Next, we are learning about the outer planets and beyond.