Most people would expect
only cows to graze along the
Mississippi State Dairy Farm.
However, not many would suspect
the dairy farm has another
purpose as the launching ground
for the Mississippi State rocket
team, the Space Cowboys. The
rocket team has brought a different
meaning to the title of
the N’Sync song by giving aerospace
engineers the opportunity
to learn more about rocketry,
according to outreach director
Morgan Jeter, senior majoring in
education.
“The Space Cowboys help
engineers apply what they have
learned in the classroom for the
ability to gain hands-on experience
working with rockets,” Jeter
said.
As a National Association
Rocketry charter, the members
obtain the ability to work
with high-power rocketry and
commercial motors. Most of
the smaller scale pieces that are
used for the construction of
the rockets can be purchased at
Hobby Lobby. Mainly, the Space
Cowboys obtain larger parts
from the Web and Aurora Flight
Science Labs in Columbus. The
bodies of the rockets are usually
made of fiberglass or carbon fiber,
which is cut to fit the scale of
the rocket. One of the materials
the team uses is flight computers,
which are programmed to
calculate the height achieved by
the rocket. Sometimes multiple
flight computers are programmed
just in case one fails.
Due to the rockets’ altitude, the
Space Cowboys have to launch
their rockets in deserted places,
such as the dairy farm, for safety
measures. Along with weather
conditions, the Space Cowboys
must also ensure the rockets will
be launched in an area that is not
affected by air traffic.
Besides learning about the basic
construction of rockets, the team
has spent countless hours preparing
for competitions. On May
18, the Space Cowboys will be
competing in NASA’s University
Student Launch Initiative (USLI)
at the Wallops Flight Facility in
Virginia as Level II contestants.
Advanced placement in the past
few years at the Level I category
has given them the ability to
compete at a higher level.
Throughout the year, the rocket
team dedicates their time to
brainstorming ideas and writing
proposals about the rockets they
are going to build for the competition.
Every detail about the
amount of flight power used and
other variables must be included
in the proposals.
“You have to pay attention to
have an understanding as to why
something happened. At some
times, it can be the most stressful
thing in the whole world but the
most fun thing at the same time,”
Jeter said.
Preparing for the USLI has not
stopped the Space Cowboys from
reaching out to the local youth
by promoting the importance of
math and science.
“I often give the children a
brief history over NASA vital
space program. It often shows
them the growth in technology
due to the space program,” Jeter
said.
In the past few years, they
have helped members of local
Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops
launch smaller versions of rockets.
Throughout the state of
Mississippi, middle school students
were challenged to build rockets as
part of the Middle School Launch
Challenge. Saturday morning at
10:00, the Space Cowboys will
host their annual Middle School
Launch Challenge on the intramural
fields. The competition is
on a smaller level than the Space
Cowboys. Contestants are judged
on the criteria of a rocket report,
professionalism, an interview
about safety, the rocket’s flight
and a guess on the height on that
the rocket will obtain. The Space
Cowboys created the Middle
School Launch Challenge as a promotion
of rocketry. Through the
team’s motivation and promotion
of rocketry, the Space Cowboys
combine science with entertainment
for a sky-high hobby.