Rocket competition based on height and flight duration

This archived article was written by: staff

Students from three high schools in Eastern Utah joined College of Eastern Utah’s introduction to engineering class to compete in a rocket competition Nov. 13.
The competition included Emery High School (science teacher Lee Moss), Carbon High School (science teacher Dan Taylor), San Juan High School (science teacher Jared Barrett) and the introduction to engineering class of Kyle Larsen, Ph.D..
The competition for the high school students was initially to see which student or students could get their rockets to obtain the closest altitude to 500 feet and stay in the air 45 seconds.
The introduction to engineering student’s goal was to hit the closest altitude to 800 feet and stay 60 seconds in the air, said Larsen.
Altimeters were used for a while to measure the altitude, but after breaking one and nearly losing another, the instructors decided to base the contest on flight duration only. Each altimeter cost $80 and the contest organizers felt it was in the best interest to forego the costly equipment in the wind.
Students from Carbon High School won first place and Emery High School placed second and third place.
The winners from CEU’s class was Kelsi Bonner, Jacob Mantz, Aaron Treglown and Stephen Winslett.
Larsen said, “It seemed everyone had a fun time, even though it was a bit windy. In fact, because of the wind we lost several rockets that drifted along ways off.”