BY MATT LINDSEY
North Country This Week

HEUVELTON – The Heuvelton Central High School Space Dogs Team did not win the American Rocketry Challenge last month, but the students had a blast.

Students designed a rocket using software, built it from scratch, and tested it numerous times before the competition, according to Bob Kennedy, who also serves as the team supervisor/mentor.

Heuvelton students competed against 99 other high school teams from across the country in The Plains, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

At the contest, Heuvelton’s first launch was near flawless.

“So good in fact that it is pictured on the first page of the competition’s website,” Kennedy said.

After all 100 of the nation’s top teams flew in the first round, Heuvelton was in 18th place and headed for the championship round.

“Unfortunately, for the first time the entire season the egg, which represents the astronaut, cracked on this flight which resulted in an automatic DQ,” Kennedy said.

The Heuvelton team still ended up ranked in the top 40.

Aside from the competition, students presented their rocket at the U.S. Senate building in Washington D.C. to Aerospace industry executives, congressional leaders and NASA officials.

This was followed by a trip to the Udvar Hazy National Air Museum located at Dulles International Airport.

“The students spent several hours viewing some of the most historic airplanes and space vehicles of the past. Space shuttle Discovery, SR 71 blackbird and B-29 bomber the Enola Gay to name a few,” Kennedy said.

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Team presentation at the U.S. Senate office building. From left are Cooper White, Shane Mudge, Willem Gleeson, Blake Collier, Bradyn Dawson, and Adam West. Photo submitted.

Kennedy, who is a science teacher in the district, said Heuvelton has qualified nine times over the past 18 years. He has his High Power Rocketry Certification through the National Association of Rocketry which makes him uniquely qualified to also serve as the team's mentor.

“Our project manager Willem Gleeson applied for and was accepted into the competition’s first year of the Ambassador program,” Kennedy said. “Students selected for this program committed two hours throughout the day to explain all aspects of the competition to the aerospace executives that were present in the VIP area.”

The Heuvelton Team is grateful to their local sponsors; Siemens Industry Inc with offices in Syracuse and Potsdam; and the Heuvelton AMVETS Post 1997 for their continued support of the rocketry program.