Windward Community College
Center for Aerospace Education
University Student Launch Initiative 2009-2010
Leo Hano
The Voice of Authority & Respect
Outreach Past Events
November 21, 2009
Windward Community College
A young rocketeer launches a rocket.
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At this weekends SPRCH launch a young boy, Kilo, launched a bevy of rockets for his science fair project. His father help with the data tracking while Kilo prepped, loaded, launched and recovered all of the rockets. Helen Rapozo, SPRCH secretary and news letter editor, also helped out with the event operating an Altitrack to track the altitude of the rockets.
Also helping out with the Altitrack was Joleen Iwaniec. Patrick Lancaster and Todd Esposito held LCO (Launch Control Officer) and RSO (Range Safety Officer) duties. The TARC (Team America Rocketry Challenge) girls from Saint Andrews Priory were on hand with their own rocketry testing. Advising the TARC girls, Paul Uyehara, was available to anyone needing assistance as well the president of SPRCH, Mike Masuda.
The afternoon started out bright and sunny but the sun was chased away by a wall of clouds threatening rain. Passing showers came and went as rockets were loaded and launched.
Premo Ames II brought out his canopy and set up next to the CAE (Center for Aerospace) canopy providing much need relief from the passing showers. He also brought out new Kenwood radios provided by his friend, Myles Sakaguchi, from Kenwood USA. The radios proved useful in coordinating the launches from the pads to the Altitrack operator.
Towards the end of the day the USLI team launched Mini Me, the 3/8 scale prototype of their USLI project. All went well until the last flight when the rocket payload and booster sections separated from each other at apogee. The shock cord holding the two units together snapped apart sending the payload section down by streamer and the booster tumbling down. Overall the flight tests were successful but more testing still needs to be done.
As the afternoon progressed the USLI students were greeted with questions and comments about the launches. Several of the parents are looking forward to the next SPRCH launch.
Flight log of launches, courtesy Helen Rapozo.
To contact us:
Windward Community College
Center for Aerospace Education
Building: Hale Imiloa, Room 112
47-720 Keaahala Road
Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744
Phone: 808-347-8246
E-mail: Jake Hudson - jacobh@hawaii.edu