Rocketry Students Launch “Sparrow” at White Sands

Rocketry Students Launch 230 lbs “Sparrow” at White Sands Missile Range, Named Big Winners of the Day!
Posted on 07/19/2021
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While most kids likely spent their summer relaxing, students in Brazoswood’s Goddard Rocketry program traveled to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico to launch the rocket they spent the school year designing and building.

The team’s rocket, named ‘Sparrow,’ weighed in at 230 pounds with liquid oxidizer. It was 18’ long, 8” in diameter, and included many advanced designs and manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printed electronics bays, 3D printed fuel, and carbon fiber fins. The goal was to launch ‘Sparrow,’ carrying a 5-pound electronics payload, to as high an altitude as possible. The team was declared the ‘big winners of the day!’ with a stable flight and a motor burn over 25 seconds. WSMR and SystemsGo staff estimate the flight between 25,000-30,000 feet, though the rocket has not yet been recovered. Because of restrictions placed on the launch range this year, all of this was accomplished with only 70% of the motor capacity filled.  

Last year’s launch was canceled due to COVID, but Brazoswood returned this year to have the most successful launch of ‘Sparrow,’ again leading all other schools in the 2018, 2019, and 2021 school years. However, while most schools continued to work on the rockets they began designing during the 2020 school year, Brazoswood was the only team to complete the entire research, design, review, and fabrication process all within the 2021 school year.

The BISD Board of Trustees honored Goddard Rocketry students and their instructor Chris McLeod during the board meeting held on July 19, 2021. McLeod has taken the helm of the Rocketry Program with the 2019 retirement of Mr. Dale Hobbs, the original teacher of the Brazoswood team. 

The Goddard Rocketry class is the highest level course offered in over 50 schools within the SystemsGo rocketry program. The goal of the Goddard level is to design, build, and successfully launch a rocket capable of carrying a research payload to an altitude of 80 to 100 thousand feet.

Check out this short video highlighting the students’ successful launch: Brazoswood Rocket Launch WSMR Video

Brazoswood Rocketry Students - Area of Responsibility

  • Cesar Guajardo - Propulsion

  • Hans Aggarwal - Avionics

  • Jasmise Rivera - Airframi, Aftbod, Monetary Budgeter

  • Josh Robinson - Recovery   

  • Joshua Martinez -  Propulsion, Oxygen Tank

  • Julia Braun - Recovery, Parachute Modeling

  • Logan Ward -  Dynamics, Communication

  • May Dupont - Airframe Integration, Scheduling

  • Montwin Delton - Mass Reduction and Technology Research

  • Myles de Valcourt - Avionics, Mass Reduction and Technology Research 

  • Neha Krishnan - Propulsion, Fuel Grain 

  • Noah Cobb - Recovery, Bulkheads, Airframe, Forebody

  • Noah Hankinson - Lead Engineer

  • Paramvir Singh - Propulsion, Nozzle

  • Raul Marquez - Avionics

  • Sam Whitmarsh-  Airframe, Mass Reduction and Technology Research, Public Relations

  • Sarah Stewart- Propulsion

  • Sophia Massey-  Dynamics,  Communication, Recovery, RockSim Modeling, Parachute Release Design

  •  TJ Rotramel- Dynamics


Rocketry Students Launch 230 lbs “Sparrow” at White Sands Missile Range

Rocketry Students Launch 230 lbs “Sparrow” at White Sands Missile Range  Rocketry Students Launch 230 lbs “Sparrow” at White Sands Missile Range

Rocketry Students Launch 230 lbs “Sparrow” at White Sands Missile Range  Rocketry Students Launch 230 lbs “Sparrow” at White Sands Missile Range
Rocketry Students Launch 230 lbs “Sparrow” at White Sands Missile Range

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