Move Over, NASA: Pupils Launch 32 Rockets

NASA has nothing on Osceola Street Elementary School, whose students launched 32 rockets in one day.

But Monday’s rocket project at the Sylmar school wouldn’t have been possible without the NASA Space Academy training that teacher Sue O’Brien received in July.

On a scholarship from Rockwell International, O’Brien spent more than a week in Huntsville, Ala., learning the history of the U.S. space program and studying specifics of propulsion and rocket engines.

For the last three weeks, she has imparted that information to 32 Osceola students, culminating in the playground rocket launch. As each prepared to launch his or her personally built foot-high projectile, a hush fell over the crowd of about 100 students, teachers and parents.

“Five, four, three, two, one . . . blastoff!” they chanted, squealing in delight as red, white, blue and black rockets were shot 300 feet into the air and drifted down on parachutes.