NASA's Student Launch Initiative (SLI)  gives middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build, and launch a rocket carrying a scientific payload to a mile in altitude.

The 2008-2009 Washington County (Wisconsin) 4-H Rocketry SLI team is composed of three members.  Two of the members were on the team last year, and have lots of experience with last years SLI and TARC. There is one new member this year who is new with this type of rocket competitions, but will be able to catch-up rather fast!

Our payload/science experiment is to reclaim as much power as possible from 3 wind turbines located in tube fins.  Each turbine will use a different blade design or configuration but with an identical Igarashi DC motor.  The goal is to see which blade design is the most efficient.  In addition, a thermoelectric generator will be mounted to the motor casing.  Heat from the motor will be converted directly into electricity.  The goal is to see how much, if any, electricity can be generated from heat.

The team with Homer Hickam in Huntsville:

Launch photo is courtesy of Brent Hill.

Here is on-board video of our launch in Huntsville, AL on April 18, 2009.

Here is on-board video of our test launch in Princeton, IL.

Here is the ground video of our test launch in Princeton, IL.