TEECS Students Successfully Launch Rocket at National STEM Competition

SOMERSET, NJ — A team of students from Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School (TEECS) successfully launched a high-powered rocket more than 5,000 feet during the Rockets4Schools competition in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, according to a news release from the school.

The launch, which took place May 9–10, reached an altitude of 5,140 feet and lasted 2 minutes and 47 seconds. The five-member team, accompanied by a coach, represented TEECS at the national event, which challenges middle and high school students to design, build, and launch Class-2 rockets.

According to the release, the students spent months preparing for the competition. Tasks included constructing the rocket, designing and assembling a custom payload, and completing educational worksheets focused on rocketry principles. The payload was developed to capture real-time environmental data, using a camera, gyroscope, UV sensor, barometer, and temperature sensor.

The team also created a mission patch and an informational display to showcase their work to competition judges. During the event, students presented their rocket design, payload functionality, and the lessons learned throughout the project.

School officials said the competition offered a valuable hands-on learning experience that helped students apply STEM concepts through practical problem-solving.

Additional updates on the team’s experiment and findings are expected in the coming weeks, according to the release.