Sony's Rocket Project helps students reach the stratosphere, unloads some Vaios in the process (video)
We've seen plenty of cockamamie rocket stunts in our day, but there are still few things cooler than an amateur project that reaches for the stars. To this end (and for some free advertising) Sony's announced the imaginatively named Rocket Project, wherein eight high school science students will be selected to receive Vaio CW-series laptops which they'll then use to design and build a twenty-five feet tall, 500 pound rocket capable of reaching the stratosphere (at least theoretically). Qualifying designs must also incorporate a Vaio Z-Series (Intel Core i5) laptop to control the rocket, and a Vaio F-Series (Intel Core i7) as mission control for the launch. As Tom Atchison, Director of the Association of Rocket Mavericks puts it, "the laptops from Sony and Intel have more computational processing power than some of the first spacecraft to reach the Moon. But can a Sony Vaio laptop launch a rocket? That is what this extraordinary group of high school students is going to find out, and I am very excited to give them an accelerated course in rocketry and the unique hands-on experience of building something capable of blasting off into space." Sounds great -- now, how about a similar project for embittered bloggers? PR after the break.
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The Rocket Project Powered by Sony and Intel Helps Science Students Reach for the Stars
High School Students Use Intel Powered Sony VAIO Notebook to Build and Launch High-Power Rocket
SAN DIEGO, March 1 /PRNewswire/ --
Overview
* Eight selected high school science students to be given Sony VAIO® CW series laptops to design and build a high power rocket.
* Rocket to be 25 feet tall, weigh over 500 pounds and be capable of reaching the stratosphere.
* Students given accelerated rocketry course by Tom Atchison, Director of the Association of Rocket Mavericks and leading figure in high power rocket community.
* Launch day in April at Black Rock Desert north of Reno, Nevada.
* VAIO Z-Series: 13.1" screen, Intel® Core i5 Processor with Turbo Boost provides the brains for rocket.
* VAIO F-Series: 16.4" screen, Intel Core i7 Processor with Turbo Boost will serve as mission control for the launch.
"Sony products empower and inspire consumers to make the seemingly impossible possible. The Rocket Project is giving a group of highly dedicated science students the rare opportunity to take their ideas beyond the surface of the Earth and actually reach for the stars. We could not be prouder of the role Sony VAIO technology is playing in making their ideas come to life."
-Alberto Escobedo, Director of Brand Messaging at Sony
"The laptops from Sony and Intel have more computational processing power than some of the first spacecraft to reach the Moon. But can a Sony VAIO laptop launch a rocket? That is what this extraordinary group of high school students is going to find out, and I am very excited to give them an accelerated course in rocketry and the unique hands-on experience of building something capable of blasting off into space."
-Thomas Atchison, Director of the Association of Rocket Mavericks
"The processing power of the Intel Core i7 processor is so great that one of the only limiting factors to innovation is imagination. The students in The Rocket Project demonstrate that America's scientists of tomorrow will take our technology to new heights."
-Erik Reid, Mobile Client Marketing Director, Intel Corporation.
