D-E’s Upper School Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Rocketry (STAR) Club recently launched three model rockets on Graham Field! These rockets were constructed by club members working in small groups. The rockets were built over several club periods since last fall, aimed at providing members with some hands-on rocketry experience. Many of the same skills needed to work on real rockets were at play: teamwork, ingenuity, and an understanding of scientific and engineering principles. 

The process was also a first step toward greater goals: STAR Club has applied to iEDU’s Cubes in Space, a program that allows high school students to send small experiments into space. While this latter program will provide members with the experience of designing experiments, the actual rocket launch is handled by NASA, making the model rocket launch an important learning experience, in addition to being incredibly fun to both participate in and watch!