3 …2…1…BLAST OFF

Rocket Day gives WHS freshmen a chance to shoot for the stars

WASILLA — The sky above Wasilla came to life Thursday, as more than 220 rockets were launched from a field off Schrock Road.

The rocket launchings were not a military exercise. Instead, the launchings were the end result of more than 200 students learning about science through a hands-on experience.

Wasilla High School freshmen have spent several weeks studying rocketry, and the science associated with it. They then built rockets — some of which were more than 7 feet tall — and gathered in John Schirack's field Thursday to put science into motion.

"I got into rockets when I was 8, but I haven't done anything with them for a long time," said freshman Sam Hubbard, who built "Big Daddy," a black-and-yellow rocket that stood out among others. "I got back into it because of this class, though."

Hubbard said that while launching rockets is a lot of fun, there is plenty of science that goes into each launch.

"We studied a lot of things, like wind velocity, the size of the rockets and thrust," Hubbard said. "You have to know a lot before you launch them."

Three WHS teachers — Mike Lutes, Charles Lawson and George Chapman — teach physical science for the ninth-graders. In their classes, the teachers covered such things as Newton's law of physics, the effect drag has on the rocket, and basic rocket construction. Students then spent several days constructing their rockets and personalizing them.

"We spent about 2 1-2 weeks building the rocket," said Sam Korsmo, who helped his son, Chase, with a 7-foot-3-inch rocket called "Mirage."

Building the rockets didn't compare with actually launching them. Lutes said the freshmen look forward to Rocket Day each year.

"They put a lot of work into them. Plus, they get to come out here for the day, launch their rockets and enjoy the day," Lutes said.

The rockets were launched from two tables, which held three rockets each. Wired back to a master control box, the rockets could be launched six at a time, or individually, based on what the students wanted.

The rockets were constructed so they could be launched more than once, and students stampeded to the "engine" table to reload their rockets.

Most of the rockets shot several hundred feet into the air, deployed parachutes, and then softly fell back to the ground. Sometimes, parachutes did not deploy, and the result was a banged-up rocket.

Last year, Rocket Day almost turned into a military exercise.

"A couple of planes from Fort Richardson flew over and saw all these rockets, and they thought it was somebody shooting flares," Lutes explained. "They sent out rescue helicopters, and they found a field filled with high-school kids launching rockets."

Following the launches, students took advantage of the sunny day by playing football and enjoying a barbecue.

Lutes said an important part of Rocket Day is local businesses.

"They donate a lot of prizes for Rocket Day, and they make it easier for us," Lutes said. "And the administration has always been supportive of it."