Simulating an actual rocket launch, a video camera and electronics device were installed in the rocket to record its flight and measure its peak altitude. The rocket launch activity was the culmination of the Mars workshop developed by Compass International.
Over the course of the 10-day workshop, instructors from US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) gave the students valuable insights on how to design a system for a safe launch and journey to Mars.
Some of the rockets, measuring more than a metre in length and weighing less than three kilogramme, propelled into the desert sky and reached over 500 metres before parachuting back to Earth while a few went spiralling out of control due to some technical and design glitches.
"A total of 15 rockets were launched and out of these, 10 performed very well; three were okay and two went down very quickly after suffering from technical failures," Michael Flachbart, who worked for Nasa's youth education programme for 29 years, told Khaleej Times.
Abdulrahman Almarri, 12, Grade 7 student at School of Research Science, whose model rocket was the first to take-off from the launch pad, said: "I feel proud with what I accomplished and someday I will make my country proud by learning more about outer space and rocket science."
The youngest in the group, eight-year old Alya Mohammed AlMarri said her hard work for two weeks paid off. She said she is more than inspired to become a rocket scientist and she wants to go to Mars in a rocket that she would build someday.
Noor Abdulla Omar, 12, Grade 7 student at Al Salam Private School in Dubai, whose rocket did not take-off at first try because it was disconnected from the launch pad said: "Initially I felt sad because I thought my rocket will not take off but eventually it was a successful launch. So, my message to young girls like me is to learn from our mistakes and focus on our dreams. For me, I want to become the first Emirati female astronaut."
Susan Bell, a commercial pilot who also worked for NASA's jet propulsion lab, said the rockets were built by the students from scratch and made of light materials. "We imported the kits from the US, especially and rocket propeller, which are highly regulated here in the UAE," she said.
"It took a total of eight hours, spread over three days to finish the rockets because you to need to ensure that the rocket fins - made of balsa wood - are glued properly and the surface of the rockets smoothened. A single defect in the build can make the rocket go spiralling out of control," Bell added.
The students also designed the aerodynamics of the rockets and conducted computer simulations before the launch.
Bell said the students will be evaluated based on the performance of their rockets. The smaller rockets were built to reach between 100 to 300 metres while the bigger ones (two stage rockets) were designed to reach a minimum of 500 metres. There will be extra points if the parachute inside the rocket opened successfully before hitting the ground.
Serving as payload, a couple of eggs, wrapped carefully, were also inserted inside the big rockets and if the eggs did not break, the students will get more points. The students will be awarded today at Al Hudaiba Awards Centre.
Huda Taha Al Hammadi, enrichment and activity administration head at Hamdan Bin Rashid Centre for Giftedness and Creativity, said the students were chosen for their high IQ (intelligence quotient) and advanced knowledge in science and mathematics.
"Previously we conducted a seminar on robotics and how robots can work in Mars. We are investing heavily on Mars 2021 project and hopefully we can have future Emirati astronauts out of the current batch we have," Al Hammadi said.
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