LAS CRUCES – Anita Jimenez, Scott Komar, Adam Flores and seven other members of the Atomic Aggies were in the New Mexico sun at the Spaceport America control site.
“In 20 seconds we stop by to see the Archangel pass by, so here’s 10,000 feet,” Komar, the team’s senior engineer, said in a Facebook Live video.
After the 10-second countdown, the 11-month rocket blasts off and members of the New Mexico State University rocket team begin screaming in excitement.
The Atomic Aggies have been running since August 2019 on their rocket, called Archangel, to participate in the Spaceport America’s Cup. In March, the team reported that the rocket engineering festival for students had been cancelled after the COVID-19 pandemic.
With no chance of competing, the team was still determined to launch the 70-pound rocket and, in addition, Komar’s own project, Rocket McRocketFace.
They implemented to take the Spaceport America box and had to wait more than 30 weeks to get an answer.
For the Spaceport America Cup, the Atomic Aggies would have had to complete an application and pay a payment to participate in the annual competition, which brings together combined groups from around the world in southern New Mexico.
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But making plans for a personal launch at the spaceport meant more documents and the use of the student organization’s budget budget.
Being able to launch their shuttles values every penny, the 3 team leaders said.
“You’ve been living and breathing this rocket for months,” said Jiménez, the student advisor to Atomic Aggies, who has been competing with the NMSU team since 2017. “Seeing her even though it all started and that’s all the work, your sleepless nights, your blood and your tears despite everything that’s happened, it’s amazing. “
Earlier this year, the Atomic Aggies were in a position to verify their rocket, at the time called Dwayne “The Rocket” Johnson, for the first time. Early verification would have given them 3 months to make the mandatory changes to be in a position to compete in the 3rd week of June.
While there were other launch sites in Deming and Albuquerque to take out the first check, they were informed that the Spaceport America’s Cup had been canceled.
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Frustrated and disappointed, team members also had to move from home when the university went to catepassries for the rest of the semester.
“I (the rocket) married me, ” said Jimenez, who returned to Albuquerque.
Jimenez worked on the rocket during the spring and summer from his home with team members living in Albuquerque.
The task undertaken through Atomic Aggies to continue the launch almost a secret mission.
“He took him out of college, we took him underground and we got on with it,” Jimenez said.
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With more effort, the rocket received a new name: Archangel, encouraged through a CIA spy plane developed in the 1960s.
The team despite everything heard from Spaceport America and was scheduled to launch on Saturday, September 19 at the Truth and Consequences outdoor site. As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, only 10 members were allowed to attend.
The NMSU rocket team set the same targets as the festival and noted that the rocket would succeed at an altitude of 10,000 feet. In addition to a successful launch, the rocket required lifting a minimum payload of 8 pounds and landing safely.
Engineering scholars took the next step by creating an 8. 8-pounder plant that went up to the camera to enter the rocket. To honor the state of New Mexico, the team chose Green Chile.
“Technically, we didn’t have to make this game, we may only have (added) an 8-pound block,” said Flores, the team’s assignment manager. “We tried to show that it was imaginable to send plants to the area and that they would do it on the way back. “
The Archangel was able to climb 8,333 feet and return safely to the ground with Chile’s expansion chamber intact.
Komar’s rocket was also safely introduced and returned to the ground, which earned it a Level 3 certification for rockets.
“For us, he values everything, ” said Flores. ” We were given several sponsorships only since the launch itself, but overall, just for us and all the time we spent on it. “
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The two releases only allowed them to see months of worthwhile paintings, but they also gave NMSU scholars experience, which can be helpful, as everyone needs to paint in the aerospace industry one day.
According to Spaceport America’s interim chief executive Scott McLaughin, New Mexico is now at the forefront of advertising development.
“It’s wonderful to see the Atomic Aggies team grow in recent years, and it’s very vital to be able to have only an hour to review their designs,” McLaughin said. “Our schools are beginning to see the benefits of a nearby spaceport environment, either for their program and for smart aerospace work.
Veronica Martinez is an immigration journalist for Las Cruces Sun-News, and she can be vmartinez@lcsun-news. com or vamartinez10 on Twitter.