12/05/08  The Rocket Team from Giddings Boy Scout Troop 143 has become one of only 14 youth teams in the country to be awarded a “contract” by NASA.  This contract comes in the form of a grant, but the grant is treated by NASA like an actual contract.  The team is now registered as a government contractor, providing goods and services to NASA.  Payouts for the grant are tied to several deliverables.  So far, the team has produced a 45 page Technical Proposal, as well as a 40 page Preliminary Design Report. The team will have to produce a ½ scale test vehicle, one more technical report, and two technical presentations.  The culmination of the project is a trip to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  There the team will launch its final deliverable: a high power rocket that will fly to an altitude of one mile carrying electronic instruments to measure the speed and acceleration of the rocket. The grant will provide funds for the rocket itself, additional sponsors will be needed in order to provide funds for travel to Alabama. 

Troop143TARC Team – (front row, left to right) Preston Pruitt, Dane Pruitt, Jansen Jaeger, Josh Hill.  (back row, left to right) Skyler Newman, Taylor Blakney, Cody Alexander, Corbin Dillow

After placing 11^th in the Team America Rocketry Challenge back in May, the team (Scouts Cody Alexander, Taylor Blakney, Corbin Dillow, Josh Hill, Jansen Jaeger, Skyler Newman, Dane Pruitt and Preston Pruitt) was invited to submit a proposal to the NASA Student Launch Initiative program.  The NASA Student Launch Initiative, or SLI, involves middle and high school students in designing, building and testing reusable rockets with associated scientific payloads. This is a unique hands-on experience that allows students to demonstrate proof-of-concept for their designs as well as educating them in “real world” project management.  The Scouts will make two presentations of their design and test results to NASA engineers via internet video conferencing.  They will have to defend their design decisions and conclusions in order to prove that their final high power rocket is flight ready.   

Although most teams choose to launch electronic instruments and report data such as temperature, humidity or wind speed, the Scouts have chosen to measure the performance of the rocket itself.  The design of their rocket uses tubes in place of fins. The tubes change the aerodynamic characteristics of rockets in ways that are not yet fully understood. The team will be expanding the research that has been ongoing by other professionals and amateurs in the industry.