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Mississippi State University
Rocket Program – Space Cowboys
Cody Hardin
Senior, Aerospace Engineering/Astronautics
Team Captain - MSU Space Cowboys
Joy Sills
Junior, Secondary Education
Outreach Officer - MSU Space Cowboys
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Who are the Space Cowboys?
• Real-world aerospace project experience
in a team working environment
• ASE 1501 Rocket Design Team
– 1 hr. credit/semester
• MSU USLI Competition Team
• National Assoc. of Rocketry club (#695)
– First NAR-chartered club in Mississippi
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2006-2007 MSU Space Cowboys with USLI competition rocket Outlaw
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Space Cowboys Organization
Dr. Keith Koenig
Faculty Advisor
Cody Hardin
Team Captain
Sheila Connolly
Secretary
Card Ratliff
Graduate Advisor
Morgan Jeter
Treasurer
Structures Team
Propulsion Team
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Payload Team
Recovery Team
Research &
Development
MSU Rocket Program
Equipment
Maintenance
Outreach
Committee
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07-08 Space Cowboys
• 100% 2006-2007 team
retention
• 11 new members
• 18 ASE, 1 Animal/Dairy
Science, 1 Secondary
Education
• 6 female, 12 male
• 6 NAR members, 3
female
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Objectives
• Further the research and development of
rocketry at MSU by developing and testing
sounding rockets
• Competitively compete annually in the
NASA-MSFC USLI competition
• Educate youth in rocketry, engineering,
and the space program by engaging K-12
students in outreach activities
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Rocketry Research
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Temperature as a Function of Flight Time
120
100
Temperature (F)
• Atmospheric Weather
Conditions
• High altitude, high
velocity test vehicle
• Nozzle design for
thrust optimization
• Acoustic properties
model of NASA-Ares I
launch vehicle
80
60
40
20
0
0.00
20.00
MSU Rocket Program
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
Time (s)
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MSU-SC Outreach Program
• Our goal is to spark the students’
interest and curiosity in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math.
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Presentations & Demonstrations
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Creating Interest Through Media
• We’ve been featured
in:
– Starkville Daily News
Feature
– This Week at MsState
Broadcast
– WCBI-TV 4 (CBS)
News Broadcast
– MDOT Stateside News
– Bagley College of
Engineering
Newsletter
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Middle School Launch Challenge (MSLC)
• Contest for 6-8th grade students to design,
build, test, and fly a rocket with a scientific
payload to 1,000 ft. AGL
• Designed to introduce middle school students
to not only rocketry, but to aspects of mission
planning
• Grand prize is $1000 cash prize to the winning
school
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“Meaning is intimately connected with
experience.”
• In the MSLC students:
– Bridge the gap between theory and
application
– Apply their school-learned knowledge
– Play an active role in assimilating
information regarding STEM
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SC Budget
• FY2007 - $2000, 75% SG Funded
• FY2008 - $5000, 50% SG Funded
– 25% Bagley College of Engineering
– 25% Self-funded
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Thank ya’ll
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