News

Rockets!

Engineered Week of Wonder Event in Athlone 9th to 13th Feb 2009

Space Industry Skillnet has sponsored the Rockets! event running from Monday 9th to Friday 13th February in Custume Barracks, Athlone.

"Have fun with Science and Engineering by building & launching your own rocket! This special event, held in Custume Barracks, Athlone, during Engineered! A Week of Wonder, will have everyone building their own rocket with supervision from expert Army personnel. You will also be treated to an obstacle course, mine awareness & demonstrations of technology from Defense Forces engineers. Then countdown, 3, 2, 1…Liftoff! & watch the trail of smoke as your rocket soars into the sky over Athlone at over 300 KPH! At reaches 250 metres altitude a parachute deploys and your rocket returns to earth for you to keep."

"When you participate in the Engineered Week of Wonder! events you have a chance to WIN a once in a life time chance to live like an astronaut at Space Expo, Nordwijk, Netherlands. The prize for four people includes travel, two nights B&B accommodation and entrance to Space Expo at the ESA European Space Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands"

Space Industry Skillnet training network is sponsoring a week of rocket building and rocket launching for 300 children from 10 local Athlone national schools (4th to 6th class age group).

Activity Summary

Intro & Rocket Building

There will be a workshop in the Custume Barrack Gym, where the group of children will learn about rockets and then they will build their own personalized model rockets that will be launched from the Barrack square later in the day.

Army personnel will assist the children in this activity (approx 15 personnel). Once assembled the model rockets will about approx one hour to set.

Army Demonstrations

The Defence Forces will hold a workshop containing the following:

i) An obstacle course

ii) Mine awareness stand

iii) Demonstration of TBMS – relating satellites and tracking movement.

iv) EOD display

v) Display from Defense Forces engineers – possible bridging techniques etc.

Each of the above activities should last 10 –15 minutes allowing the remainder of the time to move Between stations.

Rocket Launch Event

Then countdown, 3, 2, 1…Liftoff! Everyone gets to launch their own rocket from a safe distance from the purpose built launch pad constructed on the Barrack parade ground & watch the trail of smoke as their rocket soars into the sky over Athlone at over 300 KPH! At 250 metres altitude a parachute deploys & the rocket returns to earth for them to keep.

This will be the largest model rocket launch event ever in Ireland and you are welcome to cover it in any of the 5 days.

We are also sponsoring the prize for a trip to the European Space Agency EXPO centre in the Netherlands.

Ireland has been a part of ESA for more than 25 years and most people aren't even aware it exists and we would like to address that by promoting ESA as an educational destination for all schoolchildren in Europe.

S.N. Cluain Na Cille - Athlone - With their Rockets!

For more information on Engineered Week of Wonder! please visit: www.weekofwonder.ie

For more information on the STEPS to Engiineering programme please visit: www.steps.ie

Acknowledgement:

Many thanks from Space Industry Skillnet to Eric Stenzel for his work in organising and facilitating a fantastic week of rocket launching in Athlone. Special thanks also to Lt. Colin Watters & Capt. Fergal Joyce of 6th Batallion at Custume Barracks in Athlone and all the army personell who gave their time to make this a great week for the children of Athlone.