Our Rocket Launch was in the News

Augusta — The temperature hovered above 40 degrees and the light of day was fading fast. The field beyond the launch pad was saturated with rain that had fallen that morning. Dark clouds hung overhead.
It was not an ideal setting for a rocket launch, but for the 20 Cub Scouts from Pack 603 and their parents, it might as well have been the Kennedy Space Center in Florida."It was awesome," said first-grader Andrew Truman when rockets began firing into the sky.
After each launch, the boys ran across the field to try to find the rocket that had returned to Earth.
Each den (Cubs are placed in age-groups called dens) had been given a 1-inch model rocket to assemble and decorate at the Oct. 6 meeting at Hussey Elementary School.
Parents equipped the rockets with a removable engine at the time of the launch Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the American Legion on Eastern Avenue.Cub Scout Ryan Lathe had not built a model rocket before and was anxious to see one take flight.
"I think the orange one will go the highest," he said prior to the countdown.One rocket was recovered; the others experienced equipment failure when the parachutes failed to deploy."The boys had a lot of fun despite the technical problems," said Den Leader Chris Bailey. "So did I.""I liked shooting them up itno the sky," said Cub Scout Jacob Arbour."It's great to give these boys experiences like this," said Cub Master Chuck Mahaleris. "These Cub Scouts could be the next Mainers into space, following in the footsteps of current astronauts Charlie Owen Hobaugh, Kenneth Ha and Christopher Cassidy. It's a fun way to teach them about science."
Of the 312 pilots and scientists selected as astronauts since 1959, at least 207 were Scouts or active in Scouting. The list includes 39 Eagle Scouts.
Of the 27 men who traveled to the moon on the Apollo 9 through Apollo 17 missions, 24 were Scouts, including 11 of the 12 men who walked on the moon's surface, and all three members of the crew of Apollo 13.
This past summer, the Cubs attended Cub Scout Day Camp at Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade and Webelos Resident Camp at Camp Hinds in Raymond; outer space fun was the theme for the programs.For more information about Cub Scout Pack 603, contact Mahaleris at 400-9850
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