“5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition!” booms through the Kern County desert. Almost 20 Westridge students cheer, watching four years of hard work launch into the atmosphere.
As the sun set on Saturday, December 7, Westridge Rocketry launched their ocean-blue rocket, painted to resemble a shark, at the Friends of Ameteur Rocketry facility. Leaving school midday on Friday, 20 total Westridge affiliates (17 students and 3 faculty) joined several colleges and one high school from around the West Coast to launch their experimental rockets at FAR. This marked the first time in Westridge history that the rocketry program has successfully launched an experimental rocket.
In 2022, the program made a similar attempt, yet met challenges with the rocket’s fuel, rendering its flight impossible. To Lucy M. ’25, who joined the program in 2022, but was unable to attend both trips, this launch “was so rewarding. We’ve been working on this rocket for so long.” She continued, “We’ve made mistakes and had to adjust, but we’ve finally been successful.”
Theadora H. ’25, one of the senior-most members of Westridge’s Rocketry program, having joined in 7th grade, said, “I almost cried. It was so beautiful.”
Since 2021, Westridge’s Rocketry Program, which takes place primarily in the form of an H-Block elective, has worked to develop experimental rockets. In experimental rocketry, students construct the entire design, managing the engineering, technology, and mechanical elements of the rocket; while in competition rocketry, students would instead use manufactured motors.
Rocketry Teacher Mr. Daniel Perahya spoke to the benefit of experimental rocketry for students in comparison to competition rocketry. “It’s like putting together LEGOs versus doing real science,” he said. He continued to reflect on student growth he has observed, saying, “None of these kids came in with any knowledge. Now they can go have a conversation with the people at the site about what’s going on and what they’re learning.”
Beyond launching their own rocket, students also got to watch other colleges launch their creations. Freshman Ilyana P.F., who has been in Rocketry since 7th grade, said the experience was empowering as a young rocket scientist. “I got to learn about other schools’ programs. It was a good showcase of where we could be and what the advancement of our program could look like.”
Upon entering the Rocketry classroom after their trip, students shared their non-scientific experiences too. Camping in tents and cooking their own food, students also learned wilderness skills and desert climate patterns. The brisk night air, which once swooped below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, left many cold in the tents. “It was definitely a bonding experience. It was freezing cold and we all grew closer because we were dying,” said Clara T. ’27.
Camping in the desert, students got to see the night sky a bit differently than they do in the Los Angeles area. Taking advantage of the visibility of stars, Mr. Perahya taught students how to identify the North Star using the Big Dipper. After learning, Layla R. ’27 said, “Whenever it was dark enough, I would look for the Big Dipper, then the North Star.” She also said, “We were amazed by how many stars we could see compared to the city so we were excitedly pointing out different things we saw.”
Though the launch was a success for Westridge in and of itself for Westridge, the Rocketry team reached another goal—their rocket hit an altitude of 1.1 kilometers, according to senior and Spyglass Copy Editor Miranda F., who was in charge of the control computer managing the rocket’s height. This surpassed the team’s initial goal of one kilometer.
Looking ahead, Westridge Rocketry plans on launching even more rockets this year, with one already built. In the second semester, the team is working on two new rockets for their new mission goals. For Theadora H., who has been there since the beginning, launching these rockets would be special.
“As a senior who’s graduating in June, I really want to see the rockets launch before I graduate. It would be a great honor to conclude my rocketry journey. I feel really proud of all of our work,” she said.
