SPRING GROVE, Pa. (WHTM) — Shoot for the stars! When high schoolers are told that, the meaning is often to set lofty goals. For some in our area, it might be literal.
Spring Grove Area High School fields a rocketry team, giving students hands-on experience in STEM.
The team is gearing up to represent Pennsylvania in the 2026-27 NASA Student Launch Program.
Photo Courtesy / Spring Grove Area SD – 2026-2027 Spring Grove Area High School Rocketry NASA Student Launch Team Picture
“Being selected for NASA Student Launch is a significant achievement for our students and a reflection of their dedication, creativity, and perseverance,” said Dr. Daphne Kirkpatrick, Superintendent of Spring Grove Area School District. “We are incredibly proud of the hard work they have put into reaching this milestone and look forward to seeing all they accomplish as they take on this exciting challenge.”
They are one of 17 middle and high school squads selected for the competition and the only one from the Keystone State.
It’s a nine-month engineering challenge offering students hands-on experience designing, building, testing, and launching high-powered rockets carrying scientific or engineering payloads. In other words, rocket science.
They were selected after they developed and submitted a 47-page proposal to NASA.
Science teacher Brian Hastings and instructional assistant Janet Senft advise the team which includes Greyson Straub-Levis, Natalie LeCrone, Elijah Henning, Logan Shearer, Lauren Sanchez, and Micah Henning.
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The team will also design, build, and test both subscale and full-scale rockets in preparation for the program’s culminating launch event. Along the way, students must complete several design and flight-readiness milestones before advancing to the final launch which will take place on April 10, 2027 in Huntsville, Alabama.
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