The Rockets for Schools program is focused on stimulating the academic interest and excitement of students grades 6-12 in math and science. This program also aims to involve students at the graduate and undergraduate level. Through hands-on involvement in applied space science technology projects that emphasize its theme "Space and the Environment", the program will generate public awareness of aerospace opportunities within Michigan/Wisconsin industry. The 1997 launch will involve 2 Super Loki Rockets. Many organizations from both states have already begun participating in this process.
Michigan
Michigan Technological University (MTU); Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSG); Michigan Space and Science Center; MEERA (which stands for??); and the Lt. Governor's Office.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Space Business Roundtable (WSBR); Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT); Wisconsin Air National Guard; the Wisconsin Aerospace Education Committee (WAEC); the Lieutenant Governor's Office; Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC)
National organizations involved are the Aerospace States Association (ASA), Spaceport Florida Authority (SFA), Tripoli Rocket Association, Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard. Other participants with a desire to participate are sought.
This rocket launch will expose the participating students and educators to the many applied science aspects of US space technology with emphasis on engineering, meteorology and environmental monitoring. An impressive, educational itinerary is being developed by the Rockets for Schools Education Committee. Students will have unique learning opportunities through participation in all stages of the rocket launch, recovery, design of the payload and other associated projects. Additional balloons equipped with cameras and environmental payloads, ham and amateur TV, and remote sensing projects are planned.
The public Super Loki Launch is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, 1997, off the shore of Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Twenty students will be chosen, from each of Wisconsin's nine congressional districts, and twelve students from Michigan's 16 congressional districts, to participate in the launch event. Each student will get hands-on participation in one of the five teams. The launch weekend will begin on Friday, May 16 with an educational program. Selected students will begin their mission orientation.
+ Launch Team will be responsible for the preparation of the two Super Loki rockets and the launch site, they will work directly with the Spaceport Florida Authority personnel, and the Tripoli Rocket Association.
+ Range Safety team will insure that all safety precautions are in place and will work also work with SFA personnel, Wisconsin Air National Guard, US Coast Guard and local Sheboygan police and fire safety officials.
+ Radio Communications Team will work with the Wisconsin Air National Guard, Civil Air Patrol and US Coast Guard to provide tracking radar and communications coordination.
+ Payload Team will work with the science payloads, remote sensing specialists, engineers from MTU and the meteorologists from UW-Madison to receive, store and interpret the data from the rocketsonde and balloon payloads, as well as participating commercial sponsors.
+ Recovery Team will work with the US Coast Guard and local boaters to recover the Tripoli rockets and other payloads.
The launch event includes special programs like: weather and camera balloon launches, amateur rocket launches by the Tripoli Rocketry Association, and congressional district student launched. An Aerospace displays, an educational program and team activities will be in the Sheboygan Armory both days.
The first Rockets for Schools launch took place at Cape San Blas, Florida in 1993. The Spaceport Florida Authority, US Department of Transportation's Commerce Office Space Transportation (OSCT), and the Aerospace States Association (ASA) were sponsors of the initial launch. This group chose two students from the ASA member states to attend NASA space camp, see the shuttle launch and to launch the Super Loki rocket. From the program's success, ASA chose to initiate a permanent educational Rockets for Schools program. In 1996, Wisconsin was the first state to launch a inland suborbital rocket. 240 students were involved in the two day educational program. Speakers included: NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, Astronaut Mark Lee, Lt. Governor Scott McCallum and Sheboygan Mayor Richard Schnieder.
The Super Loki rocket is approximately 11 feet high and weighs about 70 pounds and reached and altitude of over 50 km. It has a solid propellant rocket motor, an interstage coupling, and at the forward end the payload dart. This 16.5 pound payload dart will contain a reformatted payload designed by the RFS payload team.
Fall/winter of 1996, the Rockets for Schools Education Committees will host an educational day to kick-off the event in each of the state's congressional districts. This meeting will describe the rocket, the launch weekend, layout the program schedule and how this technology is used in monitoring the environment.
Students interested in participating in this program must complete the required application. Twenty students and two alternates from each of Wisconsin's nine congressional districts and twelve students and two alternates from each of Michigan's sixteen districts will be chosen to attend the entire launch weekend. This selection will be made by the congressional district sub-committees, each composed of local educators.
The selected students and their families will be given information necessary to their participation in the launch weekend. The application, program schedule and other information are available via the Internet at
Applications can be downloaded and mail it to:
Wisconsin Students
Wisconsin Space Business Roundtable
1825 Nimitz Drive
De Pere, WI 54115
414-339-4600
Fax 414-339-4612
Email wsbr@online.dct.com
Michigan Students
Department of Physics
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931-1295
Email: physic@phy.mtu.edu
Note add direct links
Applications may also be obtained at the Congressional District Education Days and from writing the addressed listed above.