On Tuesday, September 29, the students in Bill Montana’s SAS (Aeroscience Studies) class ventured to the soccer fields to shoot off the rockets they had been working on in class and observe their flight patterns.

For the last week the students had been putting together basilwood and cardboard rockets in order to prepare for the launch. The students also had to work to prepare a launch pad on which the rocket would rest before shooting off.

“Building the rockets has been a really educational experience,” junior SAS  Alexandra Brinegar said. “I learned a lot about the construction and function of rockets through it.”

Other than a class to learn about rockets, the Aeroscience Studies functions as an AP physics course. The students study physics on level with the advanced placement students, however go farther out to take their experience past just ordinary tests, but into the construction of real world items as well.

The first semester of physics will help the SAS students prepare for their second semester, in which more rockets will be constructed with less teacher observation and more on-hands experience on their own.

“I’m excited for next semester,” junior SAS student Hunter Heaton said. “I’ve been in engineering for the last few years at the high school, and now I’m looking forward to combining those skills with the ones I learn in science class to make rockets.”