Promoting student success through aerospace education
Many people are fascinated by the prospects of space exploration and the rockets that enable these adventures. This fascination makes rocketry an excellent venue for teaching and learning of physical sciences, mathematics, and the scientific method. It provides practice in manual, mechanical, and problem solving skills, and in group projects promotes the development of social and leadership skills.
Abilities cultivated in the study of rocketry are useful in many aspects of life. Beyond the intellectual and technical skills which may be useful in career development, rocketry teaches deep respect for safety, understanding of the law, and responsibility to community. The rocketry practitioner must be a good student, a clever scientist, a skilled craft worker, and a solid citizen. Rocketry education, when well done, encourages all of these.
Note that the following set of links is preliminary, not well organized, and nowhere near complete. It is intended as a starting point for the IEAS Education website, and a central repository for Web resources that may assist us in the development of aerospace education materials and programs.
Your input is needed!
Space Education
NASA Education Program
NASA Education Centers by State
NASA Educator Astronaut program
NASA Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics - includes Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Model Rockets, and Kites.
NAR Educational Services - National Association of Rocketry
Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers, Inc. Affiliated with Southern Polytechnic State University
Space.com - Teacher's Resources
Space Exploration Merit Badge (Boy Scouts of America official page)
Space Exploration Merit Badge (unofficial page) Lists reasons for exploring space, why it is worth the cost.
From Stargazers to Starships - NASA e-book on Astronomy, Physics, Space Travel and more.
Aerospace Education Alliance - Florida City
Educators' Aerospace Curriculum - funded in part with a grant from the Florida
Space Research and Education Grant Program
National Aviation and Space Education Alliance - "Supporting State Aviation and Space Education Programs"
Florida Space Grant Consortium includes: Educators Aerospace Curriculum
The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program
Brevard Community College - Aerospace Technology training program
International Space University - France, near Strasbourg - "...develops the future leaders of the international space community..."
Aerospace Education - New Zealand Rocketry Association
Rocketry Curricula & Activities
IEAS
Bob Brashear: Outline of Classroom Talk/Demonstration, (.rtf file)
Paul Yarnold's Rocketry Seminar proposal, (Word file)
Other organizations
Rockets for Schools: Michigan Technical University
Blue Mountain Rocketeers: Rockets on Campus program, (.pdf file)
Projects adaptable to school setting
Water Rockets - NASA
Water Rocket Index
Bottle Rocket Handbook (water rockets - not so much how to make them but how to do science with them)
H2O - Jimmy's water rocket page
Sellers of Science Education Stuff
Edmund Scientific - Telescopes, astronomy tools, science toys, (for water rockets, look under "air toys")
Rocketry Books and Periodicals
Rocket Science Insititute - Rocket Science Books, Toys and Tools, Dr. Edward Jones
Teleflite: David Sleeter is publishing a new book "Amateur Rocket Motor Construction"
Western Space Technology: "Equipping and Educating Private Space Programs Worldwide"
Careers in Aerospace
Spacelink: Space Careers - "Over 500 companies offering space jobs..."
Spacejobs: "Take your career to new heights." (also known as Aerojobs)
NASA - Career Management Office
NASA Jobs
NASA - SpaceLink - Careers in Aerospace
NASA Quest: "Meet the people of NASA and look over their shoulders as they make NASA's goals a reality..."
Educational Standards
Sunshine State Standards: Defines educational goals for students in Florida, K-12
Student Organizations
Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)
ERFSEDS - at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Haigazian College rocket projects - 1960's
Brevard Community College - Spaceport Center
Florida Space Research Institute - Advanced Learning Environment
UF - Environmental Systems Commercial Space Technology Center
Chemical Propulsion Information Agency - Johns Hopkins University
Portland State Aerospace Society (Oregon)
SEDS - Students for the Exploration and Development of Space - University of Arizona
The Illini Space Development Society, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne - hybrid rocket project
School, College, and University Projects
Lightning Research Project University of Florida
Institute for Future Space Transport University of Florida
Indiana Institute of Technology - Rocketry projects
FITSat - Florida Institute of Technology
SERRA - FIT - Supersonic Experimental and Recoverable Rocket Assembly
JAMSTAR - Florida Institute of Technology
ASTRO - Autonomous landing vehicle - Cornell University
San Diego State University - working with Flowmetrics to build new-age liquid fueled rocket
High Altitude Drosophila Science Experiment, University of Vermont - launched major test on Nike-Orion sounding rocket, performed preliminary tests using model rockets.
Alaska Student Rocket Program - University of Alaska Fairbanks - Poker Flats: the only university-operated sounding rocket range
Kingsford Rocketry Program Kingsford High School, Michigan - 7 years of high power rocketry!
Sunset Rocketry Club - Sunset High School, Portland OR
Pathfinder Rocket - The University of Cincinnati, Casper College and Natrona County School District
CalPoly Space Systems - working on Starbooster reusable launch vehicle, conceived by Starcraft Boosters currently testing with high-power motors to lift returning models with electronics and intelligence.
Colleges with Related MajorsAerospace, Aeronautical, or Astronautical Engineering
Private colleges and universities offering Aerospace, Aeronautical, or Astronautical Engineering, and/or Aerospace Technology training
Courtesy of CollegeSource
Aerospace Technology
Brevard Community College - Associate in Science degree in Aerospace Technology, classroom at Kennedy Space Center
Mathematics
Physics
Astronomy
Atmospheric Science
Chemistry
Bob's Links:Rocket and Space Technology - Robert A. Braeunig Excellent site on Space Flight, Space hardware, Space Centers, Missions. Includes some interesting tables.
HOW to DESIGN, BUILD and TEST SMALL LIQUID-FUEL ROCKET ENGINES
Antimatter Propulsion - Under serious consideration at Penn State University
SpaceRef.Com - Mission: "To provide the best space reference in the world." Looks pretty good!
Rocketresearch Pulse Detonation Jet and Rocket Engines
CP Technologies - by John Wickman - Leader in the efforts to save rocketry! Space Camps, Publications on amateur rocket motors, supplier of PSAN and related materials for ammonium nitrate composite propellant,
Chemical Propulsion Information Agency - Johns Hopkins University
Splash Pattern - a program written by David Hall and now distributed by Apogee "Splash is a wind-weighted 6 degree-of-freedom (6DOF) rocket simulation with statistics-based impact analysis capability." This level of analysis will be required for major flights, and previously was farmed out to a consulting firm charging many thousands of dollars per analysis. David's program makes this level of prediction accessible to serious amateur rocketers. Thanks!
Administration for Space Transportation - Federal Aviation Administration "AST's mission is to ensure protection of the public, property, and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during a commercial launch or re-entry activity and to encourage, facilitate, and promote U.S. commercial space transportation."
Rocketry News: "Your one stop rocketry information site..."
Aerocon Systems: "Rocket Apparatus for Inventors and Experimenters" Load cells, pressure transducers, shrink tape, G-Wiz and RDAS flight computers, Magnetic apogee detector kit... Cool stuff for rocket geeks!
End of Education links
Most of the categories and many of the links below are redundant, already included in an IEAS Links page somewhere. They are still here because it is easier to leave them than delete them, and because many relate to education in one way or the other. Having them accessible here may help us decide upon their relevance. They will be moved or deleted before this page becomes public.
Professional Organizations
Aerospace
Aerospace Industries Association
AIA Links to other organizations
Aerospace Industries Association of Canada
European Association of Aerospace Industries
Belgian Aerospace Industries Association
Aerospace Education Foundation - an affiliate of the Air Force Association
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Society of Aerospace Communicators
American Astronautical Society
AAS Links to other organizations
International Academy of Astronautics initiated by Dr. Theodore von Karman...
International Astronautical Foundation - ParisNational Space Club, Florida chapter - A non-profit organization "...to stimulate the exchange of ideas and information about rocketry and astronautics, and to promote the recognition of America's achievements in aerospace."
Aeronautics
Academy of Model AeronauticsMathematics
Physics
Meterology/Atmospheric Science
Chemistry
Astronomy/Cosmology
Calendars, Newsletters
Jonathan's Space Report
NASA/KSC Integrated Launch Schedule
Kennedy Space Center News (newsletter)
NASA SpaceLink - many space-related lists, calendars, histories
How Things Work
NASA - Rocket Functions
Rocket Equations
Aerospace Primer - Aerospace Corp.
Interactive Nozzle Simulator - NASA/Glenn Research Center
How Stuff Works - Rockets, and many other things!
Sport Rocketry
Manufacturers/suppliers:
AeroTech - Motors, Airframe kits and more
Animal Motor Works - Rocket motors and reloads
Apogee Rockets - Publisher of RockSim, many other programs and books, supplier of kits, motors, etc.
Cesaroni Technology - Canadian manufacturer of rocket motors and much more.
DOCTOR ROCKET - rocket motors, compatible with Aerotech reloads
Estes Industries - Model Rocket Kits
LOC Precision - Rocketry kits and components
Loki Research - Rocket motors & accessories
R.A.T.T. Works: Hybrid and "Tribrid" rocket motors
HyperTek - Hybrid rocket motors
Public Missiles Ltd.- High-Power Rocket Kits
Missile Works - Model, High Power and Experimental Rocketry
U. S. Rockets
Ellis Mountain Rocket Works
Environmental Aeroscience Corporation - hybrid rocket motors
BSD High Power Rocketry
FlisKits - New Hampshire
Pratt Hobbies - DC area
Rocket Reviews - get reports on rocket kits.
Yellowjacket Systems - Launch pads, igniter materials, and other essential stuff
System Solaire - $1000. liquid-fuel motor
Florida Organizations:
NEFAR - Northeast Florida Association of Rocketry, Orange ParkSRA - Spaceport Rocketry Association, Merritt Island Florida Gulf Coast Tripoli - Southwest Florida Rocketry, Ft Myers Tripoli South Florida (Miami) Tripoli West Palm Tripoli Tampa Organizations in other places: United States Rocketry Organization of California
Maryland Tripoli #68
Colonial Virginia High Power Rocketry
Garden State Tripoli (New Jersey)
Maryland/Delaware Rocketry Association (MDRA)
Blue Mountain Rocketeers (Washington State)
Has Rockets on Campus program for schools ***
Northeast Pennsylvania Rocketry Association (NEPRA)
Huntsville Area Rocketry Association (HARA)
Mid-South Rocket Society - Memphis
The Music City Missile Club - Nashville
Wisconsin Organization Of Spacemodeling Hobbyists (WOOSH)
Northern Colorado Rocketry (NCR)
North Dakota Rocketry Association (NDRA)
Kloudbusters - Aragonia, Kansas
SPokane Area Rocket Club (SPARC)
Tripoli South Carolina - Orangeburg, the famous "Freedom Launch"
Rocketry.com - Central California
Italy
Missilistica
Laser Rocket Team
Federazione Missilistica Europea
Progetto vettore STRATOSFERAFrance
GRETSS - Groupe de Recherche et d'Etudes des
Techniques Spatiales de Strasbourg
Planète Sciences - pour les jeunes- Space Science page
CNES - National Center for Space EducationNew Zealand
Hutt Valley Rocketry Club - Wellington, NZ
New Zealand Rocketry Organization
New Zealand Rocketry Association
Technical:
InfoCentral - from Rocketry Online - descriptions of many rocketry techniques
Rocketopia - Links to many rocketry sites
Rocketry Materials - Drake "Doc" Damerau
Periodicals:
Extreme Rocketry
National/International Rocketry Organizations
National Association of Rocketry (NAR)
Promotes Model and High-Power RocketryNational Association of Rocketry (NAR)
Educator ResourcesTripoli Rocketry Association (TRA)
Promotes High-Power and Experimental Rocketry
ARSA Amateur Rocketry Society of America - Most notable for its founder, John Wickman, who is leading the charge to save rocketry from the Homeland Security Act/Safe Explosives Act.
Private Projects Headed To Space
Goals: X-Prize - private projects to send 3 people into space, return them safely, do it again in 2 weeks
CATS: Cheap Access to Space - Space Frontier Foundation
Space in the News
Space Daily
Florida Today: Space News
Spaceflight Now
NASA Headlines
SpaceEquity.comThe Space Review:
Essays and Commentary about the final frontier
Space Exploration Programs
Apollo - Lunar Landing Missions
Space Primer - Aerospace Corporation
Russian Space Web
Timeline of Space Exploration - NASAHardware Databases:
Andrews Space and Technology - "Space Database provides a comprehensive overview of aerospace products and hardware"
Space and Planetary Habitation
The Artemis Project - Planning for a Moon Colony
Red Colony - Mars
Mars Society
Space Action Organizations
The B612 Foundation - "Our goal is to significantly alter the orbit of an asteroid in a controlled manner by 2015"
National Space Society "...dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization."
Aerospace/Aeronautic Websites
Aeroweb - Italian Aerospace Website
Space.com
Venik's Aviation - Russian Aeronautic website (doesn't work with Netscape 4.X)
The Space Foundation - promoting a greater understanding and awareness of the practical and theoretical utilization of space
Related Sciences:
Astronomy, Physics, Meteorology, Chemistry, Geology...virtually every science relates to aerospace!
World of Science - Includes Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and biographies of great scientists. Outstanding!
Astronomy NASA's Visible Earth
The Sun Now - current images
Astrobiology - NASA
Space Calendar - NASA - notable space-related events
Astronomy Picture of the DayIndex of organisations involved in solar system exploration, University College, London
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Astronomers.net - includes rocket history sectionHeavens Above - locate and observe satellites, enter your location and it indicates viewing opportunities.
Chemistry WebElements - Chemistry data on the Web
Pictorial Periodic Table - includes alternate styles of the great Table.
"The Elements" Silly 1955 lyrics by Tom Lehrer, music by Sir William Sullivan, and great Flash animation by Mike Stanfill
Atmospheric Sciences Patrick Air Force Base - Weather forecasts for the 45th Space Wing - Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center area
A Lightning Primer - NASA GHCC
Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research - Socorro NM - Activities include rocket-triggered lightning
Global Hydrology and Climate Center - NASA Weather photos straight from the satellites
Weather.gov - U. S. National Weather Service homepage. Voluminous weather data
History of Aerospace Technology
Space History Division, National Air and Space Museum - Smithsonian
Congreve rockets - as in "the rockets' red glare..."
Encyclopedia Astronautica
Rockets in Europe
Rocket Photos
Picture Gallery - Marshall Space Flight Center
History of Space Exploration - Solarviews
History of Rocketry - Solarviews
Spaceline - "Dedicated To Covering The Past, Present And Future Of Cape Canaveral"
V2ROCKET - outstanding website on the V2
Aerospace Industry
The Aerospace Corporation
Aerospace Technology Enterprise - NASA
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Ball Aerospace (yes, the canning-jar company!) builds instruments and actuators for many space probes
Boeing
Eaton Aerospace
Goodrich Corporation - A leading supplier of aerospace components, systems, and services
Gulfstream - Business Jet Aircraft
Kistler Aerospace
Lockheed-Martin Aerospace
Piper Aircraft - Light AircraftRaytheon - missile defense systems. Also makers of Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft
Smiths Aerospace
Space Transportation
United Space Alliance - Joint venture of Boeing & Lockheed/Martin - prime contractor for Space Shuttle operations
United Technologies - includes Pratt & Whitney jet engines, Sikorsky helicopters, and Hamilton-Sunstrand aerospace products
Quasi-Governmental Agencies
Aerospace States Association
Space Agencies
NASA
NASA Home Page
Space Shuttle - Official Home Page
Space Shuttle - Clickable mapOffice of Space Commercialization
Langley Research Center Multimedia RepositoryOther Space Agencies in the United States
Spaceport Oklahoma
Spaceport Systems International - at Vandenberg AFB, CA,
The first federally licensed private "Commercial Space Launch Site Operator" in the United StatesLegislation
Commercial Space Transportation Competitiveness Act of 2000 - legislation promoting commercial space development in the US
Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) - Statement on the Commercial Space Act of 1997Florida
Florida Space AuthorityFlorida Space Research Institute - Producing the ALE Space Technology on-line training Space Organizations - FSRI links page Florida Space Institute - University of Central Florida
International Space Research Park - at Kennedy Space Center
Spaceport Florida
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station - Virtual Tour - Rob Svirskas - (outstanding website!)International
European Space Agency
Indian Space Organization
Russian Aviation and Space Agency
United Nations: Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA)
Energia
Military
Naval Air Warfare Systems Training Division (Orlando, FL)
Bharat Rakshak - Indian Military Missiles
V2rocket.com - A4/V2 Resource Site
Global Security - much info on military use of space and rocketry, homeland security
Experimental Rocketry
Individuals and Groups
Amateur Rocketry Links Library - maintained by Hans Olaf Toft, Denmark
Richard Nakka's Experimental Rocketry Site
Terry McCreary's Experimentalrocketry.com
Experimental Rocketry - Jeff Hove
Water Rocket Index
aRocket Science Resource for Experimental Rocketeers - Link collection, FAQs
STEAM ROCKETS : BJ Engineering
MARS - British amateur rocketry
D.A.R.K - Danish Amateur Rocketry Club
John Koster's Rocketry Page - NERO
Stuart Leslie - Aluminum Micro-Motor, KN/SO Aerotech-type reloads, author of TRA sugar propellant proposal
NERO - Dutch Federation for Rocket Research - Holland
Ozark Propulsion Laboratories
Recrystallized Rocketry - Jimmy Yawn
Rocketry.Org - Experimental Amateur Rocketry
VRO - Flemish Rocket Organisation - Belgium
TAAR - Technologia Aerospacial AmateuR - Spain
European Rocketry Federation - Italy
European Rocketry Webring
Aerospace Systems Cologne - Germany
NAVRO - Dutch Amateur Assocation for Rocket-Research
Illinois Experimental Rocket Society
Alternative Accelerators, includes Tri-Mode Launch Assist - Glenn Olson
Rocket Workbench Project - collaborative ventures in rocketry software
SERG - Jonas Bjarnoe, Denmark - Experiments using KN/Dextrose in PVC and aluminum casings - good pictorials
Pat Bunn's Experimental Rocketry Website
NZ Rockets - Matt T. and Matt G. - sugar rockets
Dexter's Pyro Page - includes sections on black powder and sugar rockets, as well as making fuse!
JP Aerospace: "America's OTHER space program!"
Australian Experimental AE - Experimental rocket propulsion research equipment
The Rocketry Page - Jonny Dyer - includes instructions to make a KN/SU PVC rocket motor.
Inverse Engineering - Dan Pollino, sugar propellants
Grover Aerospace - James Grover - AP/HTPB propellants
Suppliers
Hardware
Aerocon - Rocket Apparatus for Inventors and Experimenters
McMaster-Carr - supplier of mechanical parts for many thingsChemicals
FireFox - Chemicals, tools and instructions
Skylighter - Primarily pyrotechnics, many chemicals overlapElectronics
Transducer Techniques - Load cells and other transducers.
Omega - Load Cells
Dataq - Data Acquisition devices, ranging from very cheap to many $$$
Measurement Computing, Inc. - Data acquisition boards
How-To...
Caveman Chemistry - tutorial on rocket engines at bottom of "gunpowder" page
Build the Lifter - Electric propulsion experiment - JDN Labs
Making Black Powder - exercpt from Foxfire 5Discussion Groups
WAMEX - International Experimental Aerospace Society (IEAS!)
aRocket - Amateur/Experimental Rocketry
SugPro - Sugar Propellants
ChemRoc - Propellant Chemistry
Frontier Files Online - Opening the Space Frontier
The Rocketry Forum - Model, mid-power and high power, but discussion of motors construction is not allowed.
Max Thrust - Online forum: "News and information you can use." Primarily model rocketry and HPR
Government Action Pages
Rocketry Information Center
ARSA Congressional Action page - John Wickman, supporting the Enzi initiative S724
Senate Education Initiative - donations of rocketry-related informational materials to Senators, delivered 4/30/03
Save Rocketry Now! - immediate effort to raise money to advertise non-professional rocketry on The Discovery Channel
Link Collections
(Some are duplicated in other categories above)
Bill Baldwin of NEFAR - large personal collection
Amateur Rocketry Links Library - maintained by Hans Olaf Toft, Denmark
aRocket Science Resource for Experimental Rocketeers - Link collection, FAQs
HobbySpace.com - dedicated to space-related activities that kids (of all ages) can do
Laser Rocket Team, Missilistica Italia - links collection
