Blast off

All of the time spent reading a boring book, taking quizzes and studying note after note about propulsion, thrust and aerodynamics came together the second smoke billowed out of the hand-painted rockets in a Wasilla field Wednesday.

Rocket Day annually brings together the entire Wasilla High School freshman class for a hands-on lesson in science.

They put their knowledge into high-flying motion, as rocket after rocket was launched into the sky, the culmination of a semester's worth of studying.

"This is better than studying a book and the questions and answers of a test," said freshman Julie Rucker. "I like things like this, and the experiments. It makes science fun."

The students used rocket kits, some paint, knowledge and their imaginations to craft the ultimate flying vehicle.

"You take a tube and glue on the fins, the nose cone, the engine part and hope it flies the best," said Trevor Lavin. "My fins are crooked, but I think you want the straightest fins to fly the highest."

One rocket burst into flames upon takeoff, and immediately, the students knew what went wrong.

"They must not have glued the engine holder on good enough," Chuck Carpenter said. "That's the only way it could have started on fire like that."

Taking students who have little interest in science and turning them on to how fun it can be is exactly why WHS science teacher Mike Lutes makes the event a tradition at the high school.

"This is fun, cool stuff for freshman," Lutes said. "They look forward to learning."

Carpenter said Rocket Day made all of those hours spent studying science worth it to him, because he got to see it put into a real-life scenario.

"We had to study thrust and flight and everything, and I see how it all works," Carpenter said. "It makes it a little more interesting than just reading a book."

The students study everything related to flying and rockets, and then spend a week actually assembling and painting their rockets. While having the best rocket is important, having the best-looking rocket weighs just as important for some students.

"Oh, yeah, your rocket has to look good," said Kaila Corsmo, who had big shoes to fill. Her brother, Chase Korsmo, designed a 7-foot rocket a few years ago for Rocket Day.

"You want to have the best rocket and the best-looking one," Korsmo added. "They're both important."

Korsmo said her rocket took about two hours' worth of work to finish, while other students took advantage of the entire week.

"I only did it at school during the time we had, but you could get one day in an hour or two if you wanted, I guess," Carpenter said.

Students positioned their rockets on a makeshift launching pad and then stood back as Lutes flipped the switch, sending the rockets skyward several hundred feet, all the while students were screaming with delight as their rocket was launched. As Lutes smiles with each launch, you get the feeling Rocket Day is as much fun for him, the teacher, as it is for his students.

The rockets all had "engines" to propel them. Some students bought several engines, while others relied on one good launch.

"I have one of the best engines, a 'D' engine," Rucker said. "Some of my friends that did it last year told me to get the biggest engine."

After the rockets crested, their nose cones came apart and a parachute brought the rockets back to Earth.

"This looked great going up and coming down, but now look at it," said Tyler Chandler holding up a parachute that was a knotted mess. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to launch it again."