PVCC’s Launch Team Reaches New Heights
Madison Weikle, assistant editor
On April 30, 2018, the PVCC Launch Team held a presentation in the main building auditorium to reflect on their past year and accomplishments as a club. Brother and sister duo Andrew and Jesse Oxford led the presentation, captivating everyone in the room with their enthusiastic energy. They showcased the club’s outreach projects, shared the process of competing in NASA competitions, and had their rocket on display.
Andrew, team leader, kicked off the presentation by explaining the competition then challenges they faced. Andrew said, “The annual competition that NASA holds is about eight or nine months, where teams from around the country, colleges, middle and high schools, compete in several engineering and non-engineering challenges to build a high power rocket and payload. The non-engineering challenges include educational outreach and teamwork.” According to Andrew, the competition is based on the federal contracting process.
For the engineering portion of the competition, the Launch Team had to get their rocket to go exactly one mile high, control the payload drop, and deploy a rover that would then drive away and open a solar panel. The team had to start off by submitting a proposal request which would lay out their goals for the competition and then present their proposal to NASA.
Jesse Oxford then presented the other side of the competition, educational engagement and teamwork. Jesse said, “Our first event was October 26, where we recruited 100 kids for our goal. We officially had a little over 800 kids totally engaged, so four times the minimum. One of the main things we did this year was girls geek day, which is a STEM program for elementary school girls that is supposed to be something to inspire them to get into STEM and to break gender stereotypes.” During these events the team built and gave away small rockets to students with the hope of continuing their interests in STEM programs, Jessie says.
Launch Week for the PVCC Launch Team took place on April 8, 2018 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The team’s rocket was nine feet tall and weighed 40 lbs. The rocket flew just under one mile, with the goal of reaching one mile. The PVCC Launch Team walked away with best display at the Rocket Fair, runner up for best team spirit, and landed 3rd place in best educational outreach out of the 45 other college teams.
