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 RALEIGH, North Carolina USA — The Raleigh Telegram newspaper and RTP-TV launched a rocketeering program earlier this year to share the joys of flying rockets with local youth.
The program has resulted in the launch of five rockets so far in the Raleigh area, with two students recently participating from Durham and Morrisville. "The unique fun involved in rocket flight makes it a fun way to introduce kids to flight as well as science and physics," says Raleigh Telegram publisher Randall Gregg. "To see their faces when the rocket flies up 2,000 feet in mere seconds has made the program definitely worth it." The small rocket program uses hobby-type Estes rockets with A, B, and C class engines and an electronic rocket ignition for safety. The rockets launch a parachute at the apogee of the flight and float back down to earth. Surprisingly, the small rockets can fly as high as half a mile into the air. Local student Jeff Levy of Morrisville participated in the first flight and launched the rocket himself before retrieving it. Also participating was Chauncey Burgess of Durham, who also successfully launched the same type of rocket. Gregg says that he has always had a fascination with space flight and aeronautics and he hopes to share that dream with young people in North Carolina. "North Carolina in many ways is a hub of aviation," said Gregg. "Although I may not go to the moon, some of the children growing up today might or their children might. I hope that they are at least inspired by the idea of visiting space." Gregg joked that the rocket program is temporarily suspended until they get a new rocket. The last one was caught by the wind and landed in a 100 foot tall pine tree and is unretrievable. "That's part of the learning process that you see in rocketeering," said Gregg. "You make mistakes and learn from them and then you start all over again." Copyright © 2008, The Raleigh Telegram. |
