RAMAPO, New York USA - As crowds gathered on a hill overlooking a baseball field at Rockland Community College yesterday, Neil Brown was busy loading engines into model rockets.

"We're holding our Rocket Club Launch," the Montebello resident said.

Brown is president of the Lower Hudson Valley Challenger Rocket Club, a group of 18 individuals. The club is a National Association of Rocketry-charted organization, which gives the club some legal coverage to hold rocket launches, Brown said.

"The whole purpose of the club is to have an educational experience for kids and families," Brown said. "We have about one to two launches a month."

From December to March, the weather is not safe for rocket launches, so after-school classes in rocketry are offered.

Yesterday's launch allowed children to bring homemade rockets and, once approved by the club, launch them.

Brown coordinated the launching of several different rockets, including the simultaneous launch of three rockets with nine gliders.

Several high-powered rockets were also on display yesterday, but could not be launched as there was a waiver for 1,200 feet, Brown said.

Tony Santucci, who has been involved with the Challenger Center since its opening in 1999, said this hands on approach with children was his favorite part of the program.

"What the kids learn in the classroom instead of out of a book is much more hands on," Santucci said. "They begin to see how they can apply science and mathematics and communications in the real world."

For some of yesterday's spectators, the experience was less about the science and more about the sheer fun of watching rockets being launched.

"I like explosions," said 11-year-old Amber Lawless. "It's kind of cool to be able to learn about other places."

Lawless attended the launch with her grandmother, Myrna Wulfson, who said she came for the educational merit and the fun of the launch.

"I've been to other rocket launches and it's just amazing watching them go up," Wulfson said. "It makes you think of what's going on in space right now. Hopefully more children will be involved because of the teaching in space."

Aaron Benzev said he was inspired to come because of last week's sendoff of the first schoolteacher to space.

"I saw the space shuttle go off on TV," Benzev said. "I like rockets - they're interesting. It's interesting that they're sending a teacher up in space."

Benzev's enthusiasm and interest in rockets was shared by several other spectators and participants in the launch.

"It's fun, it's different, and anything about going up into space, just the unknown is exciting," said Brenda Bell, a Nanuet resident who watched the launch with her rocket-enthusiast husband.

This child-like wonder at rockets and the hope of passing it along to future generations is what Brown said drives the club.

"When I was a kid, I always wanted to work at NASA," Brown said. "At 47, I've never grown up essentially."

Copyright © 2007, The Journal News.