Launch into Aerospace with the Rocketry Challenge

By Jeremy Davis, Program Manager, Team America Rocketry Challenge

For students looking to take a small step (or giant leap) toward their career as an astronaut or engineer, there may be no better challenge than designing, building and launching a model rocket just outside the nation’s capital.

That’s where the Team America Rocketry Challenge – the world’s largest rocket contest with nearly 5,000 students nationwide competing each year – comes in. The contest gives middle and high school students the opportunity to work in teams of 3-10 classmates to solve some of the complex engineering problems that come with building a rocket.

The Rocketry Challenge is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and more than 20 aerospace industry partners as a program designed to inspire the next generation of leaders in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Since 2002, the Rocketry Challenge has encouraged students from grades 6-12 to launch high-powered rockets hundreds of feet in the sky in a certain amount of time – all while carrying a designated number of raw eggs (and trying to prevent them from becoming scrambled!)

17 years later, the challenge is bigger and better than ever. This year’s competition is themed around the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The challenge: design, build and fly a rocket carrying three raw egg in a capsule to an altitude of 856 feet and return it to ground with the eggs intact within 43-46 seconds. The three eggs represent the three Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, while the 856 feet represents the time when Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. What do the 43-46 seconds represent? A reasonable time goal.

Scores are based on how accurate the launch is in accordance with the rules. For each foot above or below the goal, teams are penalized one point. For each second outside the 43 to 46 second window, teams are penalized four points. And of course – cracked eggs are NEVER a good thing, so teams will be disqualified if an egg breaks. So, when it comes to the Rocketry Challenge – a score of 0 is considered perfect!

While over 800 teams across the country are registered to compete this year, only the top 100 teams make it to the National Finals in The Plains, Virginia – just outside Washington, D.C. Teams are allowed three official

qualification flights, which are judged by members of the 12 www.avinationusa.com

National Association of Rocketry. The top two flight scores are combined and submitted, with the best 100 scores receiving an invite to compete in the Final Flyoff.

The National Finals are a celebration of rocketry, science and STEM education. Rocketeers who are lucky enough to make it to the Final Flyoff not only get the chance to compete, but explore D.C. through tours of the Capitol Building, the Air and Space Museum, and some of the most innovative aerospace companies in the world.

The winning team not only gets a cash prize, but an all-expense paid trip to the Paris International Airshow to represent the United States in the International Rocketry Challenge this year. The U.S. enters the 2019 season aiming for its flight for five straight international championships, continuing our winning streak since 2015. While there’s a lot of pressure to carry on the legacy of American victories at the International Rocketry Challenge, confidence is high heading into this year.

But don’t worry – you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to get your start in model rocketry. The Team American Rocketry Challenge, in collaboration with the National Association of Rocketry, has a nationwide network of mentors who can help get your team started on the path to the National Finals.

The key to the contest is to start early and launch test flights often. While registration for the 2019 Team America Rocketry Challenge is up, it’s not too early to start preparation for next year. If you’ve never competed or participated in model rocketry, we encourage you to work with your school to start a club and find an official Rocketry Challenge mentor to guide you along the way.

For more information on the Team America Rocketry Challenge, visit www.rocketcontest.org or follow our account @RocketContest on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.