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AIAA OC Rocketry is part of the educational outreach program of the AIAA OC Section. We hope you enjoy this newsletter - you will receive this email once each month, or more frequently if warranted (you can unsubscribe using the link at the bottom).
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Team America Rocketry Challenge
 The AIAA OC Section now has five TARC teams. Members range from 7th through 12th grades and are in Orange, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita, Fullerton, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach and Redlands. There is still some room on some teams - please contact us if you have an interested student. Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is a national contest for students to design, build, and fly a rocket to meet a particular challenge. Up to 1000 teams enter; the top 100 teams travel to Washington DC for a fly-off May 2013. The top 25 teams from the fly-off can participate in the NASA Student Launch Initiative program. AIAA OC Section can have up to five teams of 3 to 10 members each. Contact us to start your own team or join an existing team (rkoepke@socal.rr.com). Sign ups began 9/4/2012 and will end 11/30/2012. The rocket this year must:
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Attain an altitde of 750 feet exactly
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Have a flying time of 48 to 50 seconds (pad to return)
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Carry one raw hen's egg on it side and return unbroken
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Weigh 650 grams or less
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Use an "F" motor or smaller (80 Newton-seconds or less)
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Payload must return on a 15 inch parachute
Full details can be found on the TARC website. AIAA OC Section helps up to five teams "sponsored" by our section with the entry fee, providing some materials, and a loaner altimeter and motor casing for the 2013 competition year, and of course,as much mentoring as your team needs to be successful.
Web page with PowerPoint & Videos from our first TARC meeting
Download or view the 2013 Rules here
Download or view the 2013 Handbook here
Download or view the 2013 Approved Motor List here
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More on Curiosity...
A Hint of Hawaii in the Sands of Mars
From: NASA Science News October 31, 2012
New results from NASA's Mars Curiosity show that the mineralogy of Martian soil is similar to weathered basaltic soils of volcanic origin in Hawaii.
Link to Full Story
Mars Science Laboratory on Curiosity has a lot of cool tools on board. Ths Mini Cooper sized rover carries 80Kg (180lbs) of instrumentation and tools. These include lasers, cameras, a close-up camera, and a drill. And a laboratory to analyze samples. And check out the Curiosity Update links in the right column of this newsletter for ChemCam and the scoop in action.
Link to Video
Curiosity on Twitter
Endeavour's Final Journey
On October 13th, Space Shuttle Endeavour made its final journey to the California Science center where she will be on display for all to see (the exhibit opened to the public October 30th). Last month's newsletter (October 1, 2012) had several links to Endeavour's history. Below are links to her final journey.
Link to LA Times "Endeavour's Final Journey"
Time lapse video of the move from LAX to the California Science Center
Interactive Panorama of Endeavour at the California Science Center
Sunny Hills High School New Engineering Technology Building
 
On November 2, 2012, Sunny Hills High School held the ribbon cutting ceremony for their new Engineering Technology building, home of their EPIC (Engineering Pathways to Innovation and Change) program. Under the leadership and encouragement of Doug Havard (3rd from the left in the ribbon cutting photo above), Sunny Hills has had a strong presence in the AIAA OC Section's NASA Student Launch Initiative program and again this year in TARC. Now they have a new very well equipped technology center.
The Orionid Meteor Shower
From: NASA Science News October 12, 2012
You might have seen more "shooting stars" early October 21st than usual. Blame Halley's Comet. Every year in mid to late October, Earth passes through a stream of dusty debris from Comet Halley, and the pre-dawn sky lights up with a pretty display of shooting stars.
Link to story
Link to Video
Fried Planets
From: NASA Science News for October 25, 2012
An international team of astronomers has caught a star in the act of devouring one of its planets. BD+48 740, a red giant they observed using the 9.2-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at the McDonald Observatory in Texas, appears to have the fumes of a scorched planet in its atmosphere. This is consistent with a rocky world, recently destroyed
Link to story
Cassini Celebrates 15 years in space
From JPL: A long and Winding Road October 15, 2012
Since its launch October 15, 1997, Cassini has logged more than 3.8 billion miles of exploration. After flying by Venus twice, Earth, and then Jupiter on its way to Saturn, Cassini pulled into orbit around the ringed planet in 2004 and has been spending its last eight years weaving around Saturn, its glittering rings, and intriguing moons.
Link to story
Links to Video: QuickTime 1280x720 MPEG-4 640x360
JPL and NASA News and Features
So much is happening at NASA and JPL - here are links to news features
From JPL - News and Features
NASA Science News
NASA Science
Balloonist Felix Baumgartner's Record Jump
From: NY Times October 14, 2012
Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian daredevil, made the highest and fastest jump in history after ascending by a helium balloon to an altitude of 128,100 ft... He... plummeted for more than four minutes, reaching a maximum speed measured at 833.9 miles per hour, or Mach 1.24.
Link to Web Site
Link to Video
Link to NY Times Article
AIAA OC Rocketry Since Last Newsletter
10/1/2012 - Club meeting (NAR Section #718) with a presentation on motors
and ignitors
10/6/2012 - Second TARC introductory and kick-off meeting
10/13-14/2012 - ROCtober youth rocket launch with the Rocketry Organization of California - over 1500 rockets launched in 2 days
10/21/2012 - Launch at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area - Girl Scouts of LA
10/27/2012 - Rocketry presentation and air rocket build/launch with new club near Lancaster
10/27/2012 - TARC meeting for any/all teams
11/3/2012 - Rocketry build and launch with new club near Lancaster
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CLUB WEBSITE
AIAAOCRocketry.org
Newsletter Archive
September 2, 2012
October 1, 2012
List & newsletter sign-up
NEXT MEETINGS
November 4, 2012 TARC (any/all) - optional at 2PM at the Koepke's
November 5, 2012 CLUB (NAR #718) at 7PM at the Koepke's.
November 17 & 18, 2012 TARC (any/all) - Optional at 2PM at the Koepke's
December 3, 2012 CLUB (NAR #718) at 7PM at the Koepke's
NEXT LAUNCHES
November 10-11, 2012 ROCstock at Lucerne Dry Lake (Link to ROCstock). We will be camping Friday - Sunday Noon
November 24 TARC + CLUB with D.A.R.T. at Fiesta Island
NEXT OUTREACH
November 10-11 ROCstock - launch at Lucerne Dry Lake with new club (from the Lancaster area), club members, and TARC teams
TARC 2013
We have had two kick-off meetings our first TARC design/build meetings. We have five registered teams - but there is still room on a couple of the teams if you are in 7th-12h grade and would like to join!
CURIOSITY UPDATE
Curiosity is well on its way to helping us learn more about Mars. During October, Curiosity scooped up Mars soil samples and used the Chem Cam to analyze samples.
November 1, 2012 Video Update
October 26, 2012 Video Update
October 19, 2012 Video Update
October 12, 2012 Video Update
October 4, 2012 Video Update
October 4, 2012 (Test scoop)
Education Express
NASA provides many opportunities for the education community through the NASA Education Express. You can subscribe to a weekly email listing the opportunities.
Link to Education Express
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