Kids Get Inspired by Space Exploration

Ten-year-old Logan Rudolph made a model rocket at Discovery Place Science in Charlotte and tried to launch it through a hoop.

“He really enjoys building so he likes the engineering of how things work,” said Logan’s mom Martha Rudolph. “Rockets fit into that pretty well.”

Logan was one of about 640 kids who attended the Blast Off event at the hands-on science museum, celebrating the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission. Exhibits like the rocket-building station were made possible in part due to a donation by Honeywell.

Events will go on through Wednesday, July 24 on the anniversary of the Apollo 11 astronauts return to earth.

Logan said that walking on the moon, where there’s zero gravity, would be a lot of fun.

Especially “the ground being a trampoline.”

To make his rocket, Logan wrapped paper around a tube, then added fins and a nose cone. He used paper, cardboard, duct tape and scotch tape.

With the assistance of staff, Logan launched his rocket using an air pump, aiming for a hoop target several yards away.

“I almost got it a bunch of times,” said Logan, who estimated he made more than 20 attempts. “One time it hit the ring.”

At another station, six-year-old Hunter Black also built a rocket while his mom Darion Black and sister Karter Black watched.

Hunter used construction paper and tape and said it was the first time he’d ever built a rocket.

Then, Hunter used a stomp launcher to send the rocket flying. 

And that’s the best part of rocket-building, said Logan, who has made a bottle rocket and other kinds of rockets before.

“I just like making them go.” 

Learn more about Apollo 11.