Rocket club launches into new year

The Rocket Club, founded by Zeb Nicholson, a math and Project Lead the Way teacher, engages students in a rigorous process to participate in several competitions, most notably the NASA Student Launch each year.

“We typically participate in the NASA Student Launch, which is a national collaboration and a contest against other schools,” Nicholson said.

There are about 15 members in the club who meet every Tuesday during Tiger Time in Nicholson’s room. 

Each year, the members collaborate to write a plan for the club’s activities.

“Right after school starts, we submit a 50-page proposal to NASA outlining the project we would like to collaborate on. Then we find out a month later if they accepted us,” Nicholson said.

The Rocket Club is active beyond proposal writing; members travel to watch rocket launches and engage in STEM outreach at local elementary schools. They recently participated in an outreach event on October 16.

Competing in the club is challenging, as members must consistently write and give presentations.

“The competitions are year-long and very intense. Every two months, the students write 100 to 150-page reports, and in the months in between, they present for 30 minutes to a panel of NASA experts,” Nicholson said.

Despite its current success, the club started from humble beginnings.

“My brother-in-law was a student in one of my engineering classes. One day we were talking, and since there were no coaching positions for sports, we came up with the idea of a rocket club, and it just grew from there,” he said.

Nicholson noted that only about 15 schools nationwide have the opportunity to participate in the NASA Student Launch, making the program a unique experience for students.

“The Rocket Club may seem exclusive, requiring a passion for rockets or strong math and science skills, but we welcome students from all backgrounds. We have kids in our club every year who really don’t have technical skills. I want to emphasize that it’s not just for those interested in rockets or engineering; it’s for anyone wanting to be part of a unique experience collaborating with NASA and other colleges and universities,” he said.