This was the culmination of months of hard work. It was fantastic! I fought like hell the whole way through to make this work. Everyday I had a laundry list of problems to solve. Even on launch day.
Every student and facilitator rocket flew. We launched 24 rockets total! Several students got their Jr. certification. Broke the site record for total launches in one day. It was super busy, I was loading motors and doing pre-flight checks non-stop, making adjustments for each batch of rockets I prepped based on their flight.
Building one of these rockets by yourself with previous experience and an aerospace background is one thing. Teaching 30 other people with no experience and as young as 9 is another. Couple that with competing with school extracurriculars (track, soccer, etc) for commitment/retention from the students. Then there’s marketing, procurement of over 1000 items, storage of over 1000 items (see my apartment pics 😂), program development, pacing the bootcamp so everyone finishes on time, organizing transport and food, fundraising, running downtown with stacks of 5ft long PVC, funny looks from neighbors, crazy comments online, training all the facilitators, sacrificing my social life, working through insane stress from all corners of my life, cuts, bruises, tears of joy, tears of pain, litres of sweat, I put my all into this…
AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.
I’d do this again in a heartbeat, and I will, bigger and better. I’ve figured it out. I can run this program at 30 rockets so of course I can and will do 100. Then I’ll do 1000, then 10,000. I’ll keep going, I’ll always raise the bar, can’t stop this train. My rocket will reach space, and then me, aboard my rocket, will reach space, and then the community I create, aboard my rockets, will reach space.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1navjff
21 Comments
This is fucking awesome and I wish there were things like this around where I live. I’d join in a heartbeat with my oldest kid. Keep up the good work, the world needs it!
Pic number 4. Save that pic for when you’re a billionaire rocket CEO
This is REALLY FRICKIN COOL.
Great job OP, wish I could have done this when I was a kid (or like, an adult)
When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s model rockets were one of my favorite things. Going to the hobby store and getting a new kit and pack of engines, and the whole building process and then the launch. Love seeing it kept alive
Congrats! This is awesome, and I’m sure the kids will have memories of this forever. Hopefully a few will be inspired to pursue STEM careers.
This is amazing work. Keep inspiring others and giving what you can.
Damn this looks so fun. Everyone looks so happy, wish our schools offered this. Hell, I know a lot of adults who would sign up for this kind of program.
Takes me back to when I was building and launching Estes rockets in rural Alabama.
Way to go and thanks for what you are doing for the community!
Bad ass! Love to see the youngsters into it as well!!!
This looks really cool! Do you need permits to launch these rockets?
This is amazing, what a proud accomplishment, and all the participants look so happy ❤️
My dad did this with his science students for twenty years. Seeing your photos are making me smile this morning. You’re doing a great thing!
This made me smile! I love seeing things like this! Children need fun space activities like this.
This whole thing has been so wonderful, thanks for doing this, paying it forward!
I never did fly that Estes glide back space shuttle. Built, but never launched. I wish I still had it.
Oh I love this! What a great way to invest your energy.
This is hella cool. Thanks for doing this for your community!
This is genuinely so cool!
I did NASA SLI years ago and loved it to death. High powered rocketry is so much fun. These clubs are all so dedicated but always so open to newcomers.
This is how hobbies stay alive and well! Thank you so much for doing this, this is great!
If you want kinds excited about STEM this is how you do it!!!
damn, dude. People like you are responsible for all of my “bookmarked” childhood memories. This looks amazing.
So inspiring; thanks for doing and sharing
So cool, it was small stuff like this I did as a kid that got me interested in space, computers, games it’s awesome I am thankful for those memories and experiences
We did the little rockets in Boy Scouts and it was super fun. One of the biggest events of the year for sure. I loved watching them launch and chasing them down as they parachuted back to earth.
Congrats on the successful event, sounds like a lot of hard work that paid off.