Outreach

ESRA conducts rocket demonstrations for K-12 students, showing the excitement of rockets and space and motivating them to study math and science.

For in-class demonstrations, we fire a small classroom-scale hybrid rocket that uses gaseous oxygen and synthetic rubber fuel grains to illustrate the safety and simplicity of hybrid rockets. (*photo) This is a static firing in that the motor is fired in place; no rocket is launched.

We also conduct a larger outdoor demonstration using our rocket trailer. This trailer has a 3-inch-diameter hybrid rocket motor that produces a 4-5-foot flame and generates approximately 200 pounds of thrust. It is a very exciting (and bright and LOUD) demonstration of an actual rocket motor firing (also a static test; no rocket launch). (*photo) (*video)

In the past we have also had students build and launch 2-liter bottle compressed air rockets with supersonic nozzles. We are currently developing 2-liter bottle rockets that are actual hybrid rockets, using gaseous oxygen in the bottle and tar paper as the fuel. We hope to have these built, tested, and ready for students to build by the summer of 2007.

Feel free to contact us if you want us to put on a demonstration at your school. There is a cost involved, and it depends on the travel distance from Logan, UT to your school.