WOOSH!! The rocket took to the air like a volcano erupting it soared higher and higher until it looked like a mere speck in the sky. Then it became bigger as it sped to the ground like an eagle speeding down towards its prey at full speed. Now that was a successful launch but sometimes the rocket launches in October Sky were less successful as the rockets did a loop and slammed into the ground or just sat on the launch pad and sputtered. Themes of trial and error are continued throughout October Sky as the Big Creek Missile Agency launches rockets into the sky.

The Big Creek Missile Agency's first rocket could be considered a success or failure depending on how you view their accomplishment. In Homer the main character's backyard rocket was constructed of an empty tube of a flashlight with a hole in one side...