Program educates students on ICBM mission

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daryl Knee
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  The Warren ICBM and Heritage Museum has a program designed to introduce students to the basic principles of how missiles and rockets work.

The Junior Missileer outreach program began during Fort D.A. Russell Days this year.

By drawing upon creative and simple hands-on illustrations from life, the museum staff shares the ICBM mission with the general public, especially public and private school students, who are not able to visit the museum to see the historic missile systems, artifacts and the interpretation of an ICBM Air Force base, said Tech Sgt. Dan Lyon, assistant museum curator.

While unsure about how it would be received, the museum held a class during Fort D.A. Russell Days in July. They were surprised with the number of participants.

"We had a good turnout at the event," Sergeant Lyon said. "In the amount of time we actually taught the program, we had 30 kids show up."

The students had to "attend class" and then went on a scavenger hunt at the various re-enactment camps to identify aerodynamic objects and propulsion systems. July 21 was the only day the program has been tested, and it lasted nearly three hours. About 30 young adults earned an official Junior Missileer patch and certificate of completion that day.

For visits to schools, the museum staff has many items they can bring to illustrate how Warren's rocket systems work. For example: "What can a ketchup bottle and string tell you about Newton's Third Law of Motion, propulsion systems and aerodynamics?"

Accompanying this question, the speaker threads a string through the nozzle of a plastic ketchup bottle. Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The illustration is demonstrated by squeezing the ketchup bottle. The more forceful the compression, the further the string will propel. Students are then challenged with the question, "What is the propulsion system?" The answer is air. When the ketchup bottle is squeezed, air is compressed, creating a force to expel the string, Sergeant Lyon said.

The students also watch a video clip of a 195,000 pound Peacekeeper missile propelled from a silo using steam pressure so they can see the correlation between the ketchup bottle string and Peacekeeper missile.

The ketchup bottle illustration is just one example the museum uses to explain the physics behind the space program.

The curriculum is divided into six phases: Newton's Three Laws of Motion, Newton's Law of Gravity, propulsion, friction, aerodynamics and application.

"We are trying to create an interest in math and science so maybe the children can pursue a career in those fields," Sergeant Lyon said.

Schools or groups interested in the Junior Missileer Program can call the Warren ICBM and Heritage Museum at 773-2980. The museum is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Fridays and is closed weekends and holidays.

The NASA Consortium at the University of Wyoming loaned educational and hands-on resources that aided the museum in constructing this program.

(Editors note: This is part two of a three part series on museum programs.)