Water rocket flight lab

• Create a resource box for each team. 
• Get everyone in the group to collect 1.5 litre plastic bottles. You will need one per group of three to four people, and extra bottles in case some are damaged. 

1. Gather everyone together and tell them that today they will work in teams and make their own water rockets, which they will test out. 
2. Space rockets are powerful machines designed to break free from Earth’s gravity and carry astronauts, satellites, and probes into space. They work by pushing fuel out at incredible speed, creating thrust that propels them upwards. Every part of a rocket must be carefully designed to be strong, stable, and lightweight, while also withstanding extreme heat and pressure. From the early days of the Apollo missions, to modern reusable rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon 9, engineers have tested and improved designs through countless launches and failures. Today, rockets are vital for exploring our solar system, launching space stations, and one day, taking humans to Mars. 
3. You could show videos of space rockets (optional).

Making the water rockets

1. Get everyone into groups of three or four people, and give each team their own resource box. 
2. Go through the items in the resource box and explain to each group that they need to use the resources and the instruction sheet provided to make their rocket. Once every group has made the rocket, they will test them out, following the rules on this page. 
3. You could give prizes for the rocket that goes the furthest and is closer to the target area (optional).
4. First, each team needs to make the fins for the rocket. They need to cut out the template and then use the fin cut-out to draw on the cardboard with a marker pen. They need three fins.
5. They need to cut out the cardboard fins.
6. Turn the plastic bottle upside down and stick the fins using sticky tape, equal distance apart towards the opening part of the bottle. 
7. Cut out the nose cone template and use that to draw onto the cardboard.
8. Cut out the nose cone cardboard shape.
9. Cut halfway into the nose cone circle and fold to make a cone.
10. Stick the cone on to the bottom of the plastic bottle.
11. Pierce the inflating needle of the bike pump into the centre of the cork, making sure it goes right through and comes out the other end.
12. Your water rocket is now done and you can test it out, following the instructions and rules on this page.
13. The rocket launch controller will fill the bottle 1/3 with water and then place the cork into the opening of the bottle.
14. The rocket is than placed on the launcher (this could be something strong like block of wood or 2 pieces of bricks to hold it up) ready to be launched.