Day 3: Out of This World

The students began their day with a raft rally in the Cabral Center. Given only a piece of aluminum foil, they brainstormed together in groups to create a raft design that could hold the largest amount of pennies possible without sinking. They then estimated how many pennies their raft could withstand before filling with water. Estimates were quite high, showing just how confident these future scientists were with their creations. Again, the results were impressive. At 379 pennies, team Mayflower set the BHSSC nationwide record for most pennies held without sinking!

After the raft rally, Al Sacco, a distinguished Professor of Engineering at Northeastern University and former NASA astronaut, paid the students a visit. Al shared his space travel experiences with the students detailing everything from his intensive fitness routine before flight to his diet while in orbit. Learning about such a unique experience, the students had many questions for Al. His presentation was both exciting and enlightening.

Taking into account what they had learned from Al, it was now time to construct their own rockets using an empty soda bottle, construction paper, duck tape, and a tennis ball. No restrictions were put on the construction of the rocket, but rather instead to keep in mind what they had learned about aeronautics. The rockets were then filled with water and ready for launching. The students then proceeded to the O'Bryant Field to test their creations. Once all campers counted down to 0, a team member pulled down the lever and all watched as each rocket took off into the sky. The winning team’s rocket was in flight for 6.2 seconds before returning to the ground!

To add to the excitement of the day, cameramen were present to capture the thrilling rocket launches. As you can imagine, the students were over the moon : )