West Plains, MO. – Two teams from the Richards School District are among the 100 finalists attending the 22nd annual American Rocketry Challenge. 922 teams from 45 states competed to be the finalists this year and only 6 from Missouri got picked as the finalists.
These two teams will compete at the National Finals Fly-off on May 18, in The Plains, Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. The teams are competing for the National Champion title, an all-expense paid trip to the International Rocketry Challenge at the Farnborough Air Show in England, and $100,000 in prizes. If these kids make it in the top 25 teams they will receive invitations to NASA’s Student Launch Workshop. The two teams going are a middle school team, The Challengers, and a high school team, The Rockets.
To be considered for the position, each team had to design, build, and launch a model rocket that would safely carry a large egg to an altitude of 820 feet. The rocket had to stay airborne for 43 to 46 seconds and return to the ground safely via parachute. The rocket also had to split in two, with one half carrying the egg and the other carrying the rocket’s motor. Both halves had to have their own parachutes.
American Rocketry Challenge is the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
