TEP Talk: Rocket Stomp Challenge

With all the space exploration launches happening as of late, including the first launch of human astronauts since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, we wanted to do a little exploration of our own. 

 
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The TSQATL “Space Crew” showed up at Technology Enterprise Park (TEP) last week to conduct our own space shuttle experiment. We wanted to see if fellow space explorers could accurately launch a rocket into its intended target.

rocket launch assembly

Obviously our budget was a bit limiting and we don’t have the proper training facilities to conduct such an experiment on the same level as NASA, but we were able to put our special spin on it to create our very own rocket stomp challenge. 

Astronauts, AKA our TEP contestants, were given the following mission, should they choose to accept:

  1. Choose a trajectory angle between 0 and 90 degrees

  2. Stomp on the air propulsion device to launch the rocket

  3. Adjust the angle and make a second and final attempt to get the rocket into the designated landing zone

Mission control, AKA our Tech Square ATL Social Club team members, accurately recorded the data and uncovered the following:

  1. Nine different angles were chosen for the rocket launch throughout the day

  2. The most popular angle selected was 35 degrees, with four separate launches from it

  3. The only victorious rocket had an angle of 70 degrees

For live footage of this exciting event, check out this quick video here:

 
 

DID YOU KNOW? 

NASA produces a new space-themed “interesting fact of the month” around the 15th of every month. August 2020’s fact is around radiation. 

Would you be willing to take a one-way trip to a space outpost, and if so, would you rather colonize the Moon or Mars? Let us know in the comments below.

 
 
Jared Serfozo