THE PLAINS, Va. — Three Central Pennsylvania teams are among the 100 national finalists set to compete in the American Rocketry Challenge.
Rocketry teams from Commonwealth Charter Academy in Harrisburg, Spring Grove High School and Spring Grove Middle School will join 98 other schools in the National FInals, which will be held May 18 near Washington D.C.
In addition to competing for the title of national champion and an all-expenses-paid trip to the International Rocketry Challenge in July at the Farnborough Air Show in England, teams will be competing for $100,000 in prizes.
The top 25 teams will automatically receive invitations to NASA’s Student Launch workshop.
Commonwealth Charter Academy, which is in the first year of competing in the American Rocketry Challenge, is advised by Toni Ruda-Eberenz.
Spring Grove Area High School is a rocketry powerhouse with multiple appearances in the National Finals and success at NASA’s student launch. The team is advised by Brian Hastings.
The Spring Grove Middle School team was the top alternate in the competition, and recently accepted an invitation to join the other teams in The Plains, Virginia, site of this year's finals. The team is also advised by Brian Hastings.
This year’s competition featured a record 922 teams and more than 5,000 students from 45 states.
Each team was required to design, build and launch model rockets that safely carry one large hen egg to an altitude of 820 feet, stay airborne for between 43 and 46 seconds, and return the rocket to the ground safely.
The rocket must also separate into two parts after apogee—one section of the rocket must contain the egg and altimeter, and the second the rocket motor(s)—and both parts must land with their own parachutes.
Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry, and more than 20 industry partners, the American Rocketry Challenge is the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Now in its 22nd year, the competition has inspired nearly 95,000 middle and high school students to explore education and careers in STEM fields.
