Rocketry Planet

ELBERT, Colorado USA — Eight weeks of meticulous designing, careful planning and hard labor by 20 budding rocket scientists were about to pay off.

"I'm really excited," said Courtney Kais, one of the interns who helped build a 16-foot high-power rocket for United Launch Alliance, a firm that constructs space-launch systems, five minutes before it hit the skies. "I think it's going to be an awesome moment."

Justin Bowlin, 22, and Jie Lin, 20, celebrate the successful launch of their rocket with sparkling cider. Photo: Nathan W. Armes.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six," the announcer shouted to about 150 spectators anxiously chanting along Saturday morning while lined up on a farm in Elbert.

"Five, four, three, two, one," they continued. "Liftoff!"

At that moment, "Future," the name given to the rocket by the interns, zipped away at 300 mph, leaving behind a trail of white smoke, as well as enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd.

Eyes never wandered, though, during the excitement as the 50-pound rocket — its body painted in bright orange and yellow flames and with an American flag design on its tail — soared 4,000 feet into the sky.

"It was fantastic!" said Mike Underhill, who's heading into his senior year at the University of Virginia, keeping a watchful eye as the rocket began its descent. "Everything was a success."

A parachute helped the $2,000 rocket, equipped with a real-time video recorder and data-reading instruments, float to the ground, not too far from its launch site.

But the rocket wasn't alone. Its passenger, a stuffed toy sky diver nicknamed "Intern-1," jumped ship and floated down in tandem with the rocket.

Both made it safely back to the team.

The rocket construction and launch was a volunteer project for the interns, who worked after hours and weekends to complete it, and a first for United Launch Alliance, the joint venture created in late 2006 by Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The firm, which typically sends satellites into space for the government, plans to have 13 "real" launches under its belt by the end of the year.

"It's just as exciting as one of our big lifts," said Michael Gass, president of United Launch Alliance. "I think we have started a tradition."

The project was designed to give interns, whose backgrounds range from mechanical engineering to business development, a taste of a real-life mission.

It's a good practice and builds camaraderie, said Dan Smith, an engineer with the firm who worked with the interns.

"We hope they will end up in jobs in real launches," he added.

The crowd seemed just as excited and proud as the mission team.

"I think they orchestrated it very well," said Marcia Bakemeyer, a neighbor who came to check out the launch with her family. "I was impressed."

After the rocket was retrieved by the team and the Elbert Fire Rescue, who were on call in case of any accidents, the team did what every real launch team would do: They cracked open a bottle of their finest sparkling cider to celebrate.

"There aren't many things much cooler than a rocket launch," Underhill said.

Copyright © 2008, The Denver Post.