Sixth Annual Team America Rocketry Challenge
The Phelps School will again compete in the “World’s Largest Rocket Contest”. This is our second attempt to win the Team America Rocketry Challenge.
The Team America Rocketry Challenge is aimed at increasing interest in math and science and promoting aerospace careers among young people. Approximately 7,000 students, representing a total of 643 middle and high school teams from 43 states and the District of Columbia will compete for cash and scholarships.
The 2008 event will require each 3- to 15- member team to successfully launch a model rocket that reaches 750 feet while remaining aloft for 45 seconds, and return two raw eggs to the ground unbroken.
Students are vying for a total of $60,000.00 in scholarships and prizes. Lockheed Martin provides $5,000.00 scholarships to each of the top three teams, and Raytheon sponsors the winning team’s trip to the Farnborough International Airshow, Great Britain, in July. NASA invites some of the top teams to participate in their Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program. AIA is sponsoring the contest along with the National Association of Rocketry partnered with NASA, the Defense Department, and the American Association of Physics Teachers.
The Phelps School entered one team last year and was able to design, build and fly our model rocket. We also completed a flight card; however, we did not achieve a score high enough attend the finals.
For the 2008 challenge, The Phelps School has entered two teams. We have used the knowledge gathered from the original 2007 Phelps rocketeers and have developed and added many innovative design improvements to our new rockets. Both teams are confident that we will make the finals, and are committed to winning this year’s competition.
The 2008 Phelps School rocketeers are under the direction of Fred Kepner, Science Teacher, Team Advisor and Skip Turansky, Safety Director, Technical Advisor.
Team #1 members are Noah Harris (Team Leader), Dominic Bianchi, Tim Brown, David Chan, Dawei Han, Todd Lawlor, Ojins Mendoza, Ben Regnier-Lange, and Ian Ryave.
Team #2 members are Javier Salaverria (Team Leader), Matt Bennett, Steven Caldwell, Dan Erickson, Corey Fratarcangeli, Han Sang Kim, Mike Metzger, and Chris Porfido.
The top 100 teams will compete at the Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia on Saturday, May 17th. The public is invited to watch the competition.
Our practice launch: