Rocket scientists for a day in Niles

By SHELBY SCHROEDER

Niles pupils re-enacted the space race, designing and building rockets.

NILES — The Soviet Union can be credited for initiating the space race. Now the Russians can claim another victory, 50 years after the launch of Sputnik, in the backyard of Niles Middle School.

Eighth-graders participated Wednesday in the fifth annual “Race for Space,” where they designed space shuttles, formulated fuels and launched their rockets outdoors.

The event, which counted as part of the pupils’ final science exam, was created to utilize the scientific method for experiments. Science instructor Karen Simon incorporates the late 1950s rivalry between the Soviet Union and the U.S. for the project by randomly assigning pupil groups to the countries and having them all compete.

“It’s a pre-Sputnik race to see which country wins,” said Simon, who has used the activity for eight years.

Simon introduced the project to Niles Middle School five years ago, and has since collaborated with the school’s other science instructor, Lynn Muccio, in the activity. Including Muccio’s pupils, about 65 teams of 215 experimenters competed in the race.

Many teams claimed to have the optimal rocket formula. Any combination of antacids, soda pop, baking powder, baking soda and vinegar were allowed.

Unique designs added flair to the film canister rocket bodies. Some rockets were tall, while others were stubby. Stripes, fins, nose cones and strategically placed tape were both a sign of aesthetics and strategic planning by the pupils. Likewise, the rocket fuel recipes varied, but groups from the same country were allowed to help one another out.

Pupils were required to wear their country’s flag on their shirts, and those who shared information with members of the opposing country were disqualified as traitors.

Experimenters were allowed to run final tests on their rockets before they showed their efforts on the launching pad. Some perfected their formulas, while others repaired their rockets.

“It won’t hook on,” said Ricky Thomas, whose team was having problems securing the base of the rocket before launching.

Many others found that their space rockets weren’t taped enough, allowing the liquids to soften their shuttles.

The flights were gauged by the amount of time the rockets spent in air, from launch to descent, indicating the height they traveled. Some shuttles could be observed shooting above 7 feet.

“Most of the time, history repeats itself,” said Simon, referring to the Soviet success over the U.S. in the class experiments.

History prevailed with another Soviet win for the 10 a.m. classes.

LJ Cox and Shawn Spowart, the Soviet victors, revealed that a simple formula of baking soda and vinegar earned them the win. Muccio advised them to keep the ingredient ratios a secret but credited the team’s use of tape and a small design for the win.

“I’m going to carry this rocket to every class and say ‘it’s No. 1,’” LJ told Muccio.

The eighth-grade classes launched rockets from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. By the time class was over, kids smelled of splattered vinegar, and much of the cement courtyard was covered with drying pools of chalky white liquid. But some pupils said the mess was part of the joy of experimenting.

“It’s fun getting messy, coming outside and goofing around,” said Andrea Munion.