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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Art Stephenson, Brett Pearce

Aired May 10, 2003 - 14:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You might think of it as a contest to design a better egg carton. That is, if the carton were built for space flight and had to withstand a hard landing. It's the first ever national rocketry challenge in Northern Virginia. Art Stephenson is director at the Marshall Space Flight Center, and he is with us now live with a contestant at his side there, Brett Pearce from The Plaines, Virginia.
Well, good to see you, Mr. Stephenson. Are you impressed by the scene out there?

ART STEPHENSON, DIRECTOR, MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER: Yes, Fredricka. It's really exciting to see these students building their own rockets and firing them off today and learning from that experience.

WHITFIELD: What are some of the innovative propellers that you're seeing there?

STEPHENSON: The students come up with their own ideas. They have different ways of anywhere from one stage to three stages. And very innovative designs. We're just thrilled to be here and support the students. We're with NASA, we are inspiring the next generation of explorers, and this is part of a program that we very strongly support.

WHITFIELD: So is it pretty encouraging to see that there are many kids out there? Are you impressed by the numbers that this kind of gives you hope of the future of space exploration?

STEPHENSON: It sure does. We have a work force that's aging and we're looking for new young folks to come into the work force. And these students, inspired by their teachers, they are doing a great job of looking to the future and planning their careers around a career of math, science and technology. And we certainly need these people for the future of this country.

WHITFIELD: And along with you is 10-year-old Brett Pearce, who has already got a chance to launch your experimental propeller. And Brett, why don't you explain to me what makes yours so unique. And was it effective? And you look older than 10 to me.

BRETT PEARCE, ROCKETRY CONTESTANT: I'm actually 17.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, that explains it. PEARCE: Some of the things that make our rocket unique was we went for a very robust and a very reliable design. Whereas most of our competitors constructed their rockets out of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or cardboard, we used an extremely tough material known as (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Our rocket was extremely tough and proved itself to be so during the competition and during our testing in the previous months.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that is so sophisticated looking.

PEARCE: Another point of our rocket that really sets us apart is we made our own custom egg mold ourselves. We took a type of shipping foam, we made a device that allowed us to make two egg molds within it. Cut it in half, hollow it out. So then we have a clamshell piece that we closed together around our eggs and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) into our rocket.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That is pretty impressive. How do you find out and when do you find out who actually wins this contest, or this challenge?

PEARCE: Well, they're looking to have -- post the results around 4:30 and have the awards later on this afternoon. I believe at 4:30 or 5:30, I'm not real sure which. But they have them posted up on a board up here around the flight center.

Honestly, after we flew, I was so tired I went and got something to eat. I didn't have time to...

WHITFIELD: Are you feeling pretty good now?

PEARCE: Well, we think our chances are very good of placing. I heard of one score that was 1,500. They got disqualified, though. So far the closest I've heard is 1,505. Really -- consistency is a lot of this competition, but a real major player in this competition is luck. It's just whoever gets a lucky shot. Out here today, our wind has been blowing all morning long. Our wind has been blowing all morning long, it's been raining, it's been on and off. We have got all these different variables that are coming into our flight to deal with.

WHITFIELD: Wow. All right, Brett Pearce, you sound like a pro. Well, good luck to you. I know you all are having a good time out there.

PEARCE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And Art Stephenson, thank you as well for joining us, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

STEPHENSON: Glad to do it. Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired May 10, 2003 - 14:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You might think of it as a contest to design a better egg carton. That is, if the carton were built for space flight and had to withstand a hard landing. It's the first ever national rocketry challenge in Northern Virginia. Art Stephenson is director at the Marshall Space Flight Center, and he is with us now live with a contestant at his side there, Brett Pearce from The Plaines, Virginia.
Well, good to see you, Mr. Stephenson. Are you impressed by the scene out there?

ART STEPHENSON, DIRECTOR, MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER: Yes, Fredricka. It's really exciting to see these students building their own rockets and firing them off today and learning from that experience.

WHITFIELD: What are some of the innovative propellers that you're seeing there?

STEPHENSON: The students come up with their own ideas. They have different ways of anywhere from one stage to three stages. And very innovative designs. We're just thrilled to be here and support the students. We're with NASA, we are inspiring the next generation of explorers, and this is part of a program that we very strongly support.

WHITFIELD: So is it pretty encouraging to see that there are many kids out there? Are you impressed by the numbers that this kind of gives you hope of the future of space exploration?

STEPHENSON: It sure does. We have a work force that's aging and we're looking for new young folks to come into the work force. And these students, inspired by their teachers, they are doing a great job of looking to the future and planning their careers around a career of math, science and technology. And we certainly need these people for the future of this country.

WHITFIELD: And along with you is 10-year-old Brett Pearce, who has already got a chance to launch your experimental propeller. And Brett, why don't you explain to me what makes yours so unique. And was it effective? And you look older than 10 to me.

BRETT PEARCE, ROCKETRY CONTESTANT: I'm actually 17.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, that explains it. PEARCE: Some of the things that make our rocket unique was we went for a very robust and a very reliable design. Whereas most of our competitors constructed their rockets out of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or cardboard, we used an extremely tough material known as (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Our rocket was extremely tough and proved itself to be so during the competition and during our testing in the previous months.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that is so sophisticated looking.

PEARCE: Another point of our rocket that really sets us apart is we made our own custom egg mold ourselves. We took a type of shipping foam, we made a device that allowed us to make two egg molds within it. Cut it in half, hollow it out. So then we have a clamshell piece that we closed together around our eggs and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) into our rocket.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That is pretty impressive. How do you find out and when do you find out who actually wins this contest, or this challenge?

PEARCE: Well, they're looking to have -- post the results around 4:30 and have the awards later on this afternoon. I believe at 4:30 or 5:30, I'm not real sure which. But they have them posted up on a board up here around the flight center.

Honestly, after we flew, I was so tired I went and got something to eat. I didn't have time to...

WHITFIELD: Are you feeling pretty good now?

PEARCE: Well, we think our chances are very good of placing. I heard of one score that was 1,500. They got disqualified, though. So far the closest I've heard is 1,505. Really -- consistency is a lot of this competition, but a real major player in this competition is luck. It's just whoever gets a lucky shot. Out here today, our wind has been blowing all morning long. Our wind has been blowing all morning long, it's been raining, it's been on and off. We have got all these different variables that are coming into our flight to deal with.

WHITFIELD: Wow. All right, Brett Pearce, you sound like a pro. Well, good luck to you. I know you all are having a good time out there.

PEARCE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And Art Stephenson, thank you as well for joining us, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

STEPHENSON: Glad to do it. Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com