Linn-Benton Community College "Rocket Women" Build and Launch at NASA

The launch of the student-built payload rocket. Photo courtesy of NASA

LBCC students Ashley Trout, Ariel Stroh, and Hazel Betz were accompanied by Parker Swanson, instructor in computer systems, to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for the "Rock On" conference June 21-26.

The "Rocket Women" were joined by about 65 other students and instructors from the U.S. and Puerto Rico to build the "payload" for a rocket that was assembled by NASA engineers and launched 117 miles into space—right in front of their eyes—taking only 173 seconds.

"It was really cool! We were only 150 yards away from the rocket. The rocket was several hundred feet in the air before the sound even hit us," said Trout.

"It was the thrill of a lifetime. A breathtaking moment to count down till the rocket launched and then to watch each part of the rocket disconnect, since it was a two-stage rocket," said Stroh.

The mission of the launched satellite was to measure carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere.

The conference was by invitation only in which selected schools and students were chosen. LBCC is an affiliate of Oregon Space Grant Consortium (OSGC), an educational outreach of NASA. The OSGC is a network of students, universities and professionals that participate in cooperative education and training of NASA's next generation.

In February Swanson received an email that there were three slots left for the 2014 S.T.E.M. conference, focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math. Two of the available slots were reserved for a female. He sat down with colleagues and together selected sophomores Stroh, majoring in engineering, and Betz, majoring in physics.

The third spot was left open for applications. Trout, who graduated this June with an Associate of Applied Science in Mechatronics and Industrial Automation, was selected for the final spot. Thus they dubbed themselves the "Rocket Women."

"I was in complete shock when I was told that I had been selected to go on the trip. Never have I ever been able to go on an extravagant trip like that one before," said Stroh.

The three Roadrunners were joined by three students from Oregon State University, three from Oregon Institute of Technology, and four mentors. Oregon was represented by the largest group of people from one state.

"This is one of the most exciting things that's happened to me in a long time," said Swanson.

At the conference the attendees were split into 21 groups. The "Rocket Women" were one group.

Each group was assigned to make their own package of electronics also called a payload. It took two days to build the payloads and one day to assemble them together. NASA engineers integrated the 21 payloads together with a half dozen other more advanced packages into the rocket canister and launched on June 26.

Hazel Betz, Ashley Trout and Ariel Stroh (from left to right)
Photo courtesy of Parker Swanson

For Trout, the trip to Virginia was the furthest she had ever traveled.

"It was definitely a learning experience. It was definitely out of my comfort zone. We were all kind of excited and terrified at the same time."

According to Trout, NASA representatives told "Rock On" attendees that they were the largest group of previous conferences and they finished several hours faster than any group before them.

"It was a wonderful one as any group activity. You may disagree with your partners and have different ideas but we always found a way to agree on the correct way of doing things. Parker made a wonderful mentor, always around when ever we had questions," said Stroh.

The two-day building session required a lot of soldering, computer programming, working with micro processors, testing, and teamwork.

"It's competitive, it's a design competition and we were prepared to compete," said Swanson.

The payload from the rocket descended from a parachute into the Atlantic Ocean. It was recovered by a NASA boat and returned to Wallops for disassembly. Each team retrieved their electronics package and the data it collected in its SD chip. The "Rocket Women" will continue to analyze their data.

Swanson's hope is LBCC will return to the conference next year as second-year attendees. Next year his students will propose a science experiment, make the measurements for it, and build the prototype to get qualified by NASA to attend again.

"It's not the end, it's just the beginning of LBCC rocketry," said Swanson.

What's next for the "Rocket Women?"

Trout is undecided whether to focus on green energy with an emphasis on wind turbines or to enter the field of aerospace after her experience at NASA. From the press received about her trip to the Wallops Flight Facility she was offered a job with Georgia Pacific but has not yet accepted. She would like to apply for an internship at NASA.

Stroh is working on a double major in Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering. Her plan is to work with robotics after graduation and invent a device that will somehow better every day life. No matter how big or small her invention, her goal is to make a difference in someone's life.

Betz will continue towards a degree in physics, learning about a topic she came to LBCC knowing little about. She enjoys learning about how computers and technology work and getting to play with the stuff that runs the modern world.

For more information on program opportunities at LBCC contact Parker Swanson at parker.swanson@linnbenton.edu.