1. Egg-O-Naut Mario Palmietto
Science Olympiad 2009

2. Rules Overview 1 liter or smaller plastic carbonated beverage bottles.
Openings on the bottles must be 2.2 cm inside diameter
May bring up to two rockets
Labels may or may not be removed. If removed, must be presented at the safety inspection to confirm it is a carbonated beverage bottle

3. Rules Overview
The integrity of the pressure vessel must not be compromised, i.e., no hot glue, no sanding, no super glue, no cuts. Acceptable glues are polyurethane based adhesives and tapes
Metal can be used, but may not contact the pressure vessel. No sharp or pointed metal components or rigid spikes allowed on the end

4. Rules Overview No commercial rocket parts
All rockets will be launched using the launcher provided by the supervisor
All fins and other add-ons must be at least 2 cm above the level of the flange on the bottle’s neck
All energy will be from water/air pressure. No other potential kinetic source of energy is permitted

5. Samples of Launchers
NERDS Inc.
Pitsco
Make your own…

6. Rules Overview
The supervisor will provide the egg and it will be marked in a way that will insure that teams are using the eggs provided.
Rockets must be built so that the egg is easily removed. Nothing may be adhered to the egg.

7. Rules Overview
The rocket and each part that is intended to separate must be clearly marked so that it can be identified by the team and judge.
The part of the rocket containing the Egg-o-naut should be brightly colored if it is to detach from the rocket.

8. Launching
Teams must bring and wear spectacles/goggles for loading, launching and retrieving their rockets and Egg-o-nauts. After inspection of each rocket, teams will receive 1 egg per rocket, add water and load their egg in the rocket.
Once called to launch, teams will have a total of 5 minutes to launch 1 or 2 rockets (only 1 launch per rocket). Teams may launch second rocket before retrieval of first egg-o-naut.

9. Launching
All rockets will be launched at 60 psi. Once the rocket is pressurized, students may not touch or approach the rocket.
Time aloft will be recorded to the nearest hundredth of a second. Timing starts when launched from the launcher and stops when the Egg-O-Naut or portion of the rocket containing the egg touches the ground, comes to rest on a tree, building or other obstruction, or goes out of sight. 3 timers are preferred.

10. Scoring
Teams will retrieve their rockets and show the rocket or capsule with the Egg-O-Naut to an event inspector. The Egg-O-Naut capsule or wrapping must be opened in the presence of an event official.
If the Egg-O-Naut or portion of the rocket containing the egg that completely detaches from the pressure vessel will receive a 3 second bonus. Any type of free fall recovery system is allowed.
Rocket parts that do not remained linked while aloft will not be disqualified or penalized.

11. Scoring
Egg-O-Nauts that can be retrieved and survive will receive a 15 second bonus. Survival is defined as not cracking the egg enough to leave a wet spot on a paper towel. If the Egg-O-Naut cannot be retrieved, it will not receive the 15 second bonus
The rocket score is the time aloft plus the bonus seconds for the Egg-O-Naut capsule separation and bonus seconds for the survival. The rocket with the best time will be the score for the team

12. Scoring Construction violations will be scored as followed:
Rockets that violate a safety related construction rule will not be launched and will receive only participation points
Teams having other construction violations will be ranked below other teams
Tiebreakers will be the better score of the other rocket

14. Recovery Systems Parachutes Consistency is key!
SHAPE: Round, Rectangular, Airfoil… which is best?
MATERIAL: Plastic (dry cleaning bags, tablecloth, drop cloth), Paper, Space Blanket, Cloth???
CONNECTION: More strings or less?
DEPOYMENT: Passive or Active?
PACKING: How to fold the chute
Consistency is key!

15. Rocket Key Points Primary Principles Center of Pressure
Point that is aerodynamic center. This is the point where the aerodynamic forces acting on the rocket in front of this point is equal to the forces acting behind this point during normal flight. Calculated through wind tunnel or driving with rocket out window of car
Center of Gravity
The point at which the rocket balances
Center of Lateral Area
Point along the rocket where if you attach a pivot and hold in the wind it would neither point into or away from the wind

19. Rocket Key Points CLA, CP & CG Relationship
CLA and CP are nearly the same for short fat rockets
The CLA and CP are far apart in long skinny rockets
The CG must be above the CP for stable flight
The CG must be below the CLA to prevent lawn darts
To increase thrust, increase CP
To increase fin area decrease CP
Lower fins decreases CP
Raise fins increases CP

20. Rocket Key Points Raise fins will increase CLA
Make longer rocket increases CLA
Reduce fin cross area increases CLA

22. Websites Nationals Science Olympiad NASA Back glide Construction
NASA
Back glide Construction
General Resource and Information
A Construction site