San Luis, AZ - San Luis Middle School Rocket Club Team members have been putting in long hours preparing to compete in the team America Rocketry Challenge this summer in Washington DC.
"I have spent over 40 hours working on my rocket because you have to make it perfect. Every single detail counts for it to go high and low," says Julio Herrera a Rocket Club member.
In April the Rocket Club beat the scores of 678 other participating student teams from across the country earning them among 100 other teams the opportunity to compete in what is considered to be the world's largest rocket contest.
The students will have to design and build a rocket that can climb 800 feet and stay afloat for between 43-47 seconds using a parachute as a recovery device and transport 2 raw eggs in their rocket and return them unbroken.
Rocket Club members tell News 13 how exciting it is to see their finished work in the air.
"When the rocket goes up you feel the excitement, you're excited because you're wondering if the parachute is going to explode out and if it's going to land nicely or if it's going to crash. You don't know what's really going to happen until it lands," says Saul Sonido a Rocket Club Member.
"I have a lot of mixed emotions especially with the ones that are perfect. I just get cold frozen from the excitement, I'm like speechless," says Mario Gonzales a Rocket Club Member.
Fransisco Vasques a 7th grade science teacher at San Luis Middle School and mentor to the Rocket Club says trial and error is key.
"Making mistakes is allowed here. What is not allowed is giving up. The best experience they can get out of this is by not giving up. If they try it and if something goes wrong they try it again until they get better results its best," says Vasquez.
The students are competing for $60,000 in prizes and scholarship. The rocket club says they are in need of help from the community because the competition travel expenses will exceed $8,000.
If you would like to help the children accomplish their goals please contact Francisco Vasquez @ 928-627-6920
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