Growing STEM: Summit County school competes in American Rocketry Challenge

The countdown is on. The American Rocketry Challenge is May 18, just outside of Washington D.C.
A student team from Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Cuyahoga Falls will compete. The team of 18 middle school students are fine-tuning the rockets under the guidance of the team's captain, eighth grader Aleena Kuttikadan.
"So mostly I'm just overseeing how production goes and making little changes, fixing motors and such, and just making sure it runs as smoothly as possible," Kuttikadan said.
During competition, the rockets need to reach a selected altitude. For each foot over or under the target, the team earns a point. The lowest score wins. But that's not all, it must stay airborne between 43 and 46 seconds, and onboard is an egg that should parachute safely to the ground.
"The only way it can actually count towards scoring is if the egg survives the landing," explains eighth grader Chris Davis.
Students made every part of the rockets. From 3D-printed parts to laser-cut fins, they are in control of every aspect of the launch.
"My job is to train them to do this,” said David Hall, the Rocket Team Coach. “And even right now they're doing everything and they're doing the math and it's up to them because when they get to nationals, that's what they have to they have to do."
And they are doing it. We asked them why.
"Just like the experience of seeing a rocket go up in the air,” Kuttikadan said. “I mean, that's not an experience you get to see every day. And just seeing that it works and that your creation is getting off the ground and succeeding."
"Well, I've always had an interest in exploring space and the unknown, and rockets are also just cool in general," Davis said.
READ MORE: www.wkyc.com/article/tech/sci... --
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