Ishpiming Bemisejig Rocket Team Participates in Competition

Submitted by LCO Ojibwe Community College

On April 24, 2019, the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (LCOOCC) Ishpiming Bemisejig (We are all flying high together) Rocket Team traveled to Carthage College in Kenosha, WI to compete in the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium’s First Nations Launch High Powered Rocketry Competition. The rocket team has been working on their rocket for the 2019 competition since January with the challenge of constructing a high powered rocket equipped with a video camera(s); teams must then create a video montage of their experience during construction, prep, flight, and recovery. During the last few months, they have had to complete preliminary design, critical design, and flight readiness technical reports, OpenRocket simulations, virtual presentations and building of the actual rocket.

The team selected the LOC Precision Hyperloc 300 with a MMA 4 adapter for a 38 mm motor. The rocket had a dual deployment system with an 18” drogue chute that deployed at apogee, and a 36” main chute that deployed at 500 feet. The rocket simulation data showed an apogee of 2,877 feet and reached an actual apogee of 2,537 feet on launch day. Max velocity of the rocket on launch day was 485.5 miles per hour.

Ishpiming Bemisejig team members were also required to participate in an oral presentation which was presented in front of the rest of the First Nations Launch Tribal teams as well as the judges. Judges consisted of aerospace engineers from Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and NASA.

To view the teams 60 second video montage please follow this link: https://youtu.be/AtAvO9KjSSM.

Michael Clarquist submitted a patch design and his design was chosen for this year’s 10th Anniversary First Nation Launch patch. Rocket Team members include Michael Clarquist, Russell Corbine, Roberta Crowe, Yvonne Dennis, Stephanie Gouge, Misty Jackson, Talyn Marlow, Tysa Marlow, and Vincent Thomas. Advisors for the rocket team are Greg Furtman, Amber Marlow, and Cali Quaderer. Participating in this program has motivated the team to create a new student organization – Rocket Club, and they will pursue joining the regional rocketry club/association and have the ability to launch high powered rockets once a month at the Grantsburg, WI airport. For more information on the LCOOCC Ishpiming Bemisejig Rocket Team please contact Amber Marlow at marlowa@lco.edu.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (LCOOCC) Ishpiming Bemisejig (We are all flying high together) Rocket Team traveled to Carthage College in Kenosha, WI to compete in the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium’s First Nations Launch High Powered Rocketry Competition.

Micheal Clarquist with his award