Overview

Two teams of five high school students will compete in the Team America Rocketry Challenge as they design, build, and fly a rocket carrying common chicken eggs in a capsule to an altitude of 835 feet and return it to ground with the eggs intact within 41-43 seconds.

The TARC competition is a wonderful opportunity for those interested in aerospace, engineering, or simply having a good time while learning a little more about the world.

These rockets are built and launched entirely by the students, so prepare to be engaged.

Schedule

Registration opens November 15 and closes January 12th.

This is a 40 hour project that takes place over 8 weeks, meeting twice a week, from January 12th to March 6th.

Teams will spend eight weeks designing, testing, and flying our rockets. Each team will launch at least 15 flights, three of which will serve as their qualifying flights for the TARC contest.

The teams meet twice a week:

Wednesdays: 7 - 9:00pm
Sundays: 1 - 4:00pm

Once the rocket is built, students will travel to Sweet Briar College on Sundays during class to launch.

If qualifying scores are high enough, teams will be invited to the finals in northern Virginia in May. If this happens, the team will continue meeting on it's regularly scheduled days of the week beyond the original project end date. Before registering, please make sure that you can commit to this possibility. You can expect about 4 additional weeks of work, plus traveling to the finals in Manassas, Virginia on May 14.

Curriculum

If we're going to build a rocket, there are a few things we'll need to learn. We usually spend the first 20-30 minutes of our meetings covering these topics before we get our hands dirty.

• Aerodynamics: thrust, drag, impulse
• Motors: fuel, combustion
• Ignition and Ignition systems
• Predictions: Using OpenRocket software to predict flight paths
• Recovery: parachutes and other unconventional methods

The rockets we launch must be made by students, not from a kit. As a team we will determine the best methods for building a successful rocket, then use the resources available at the makerspace to bring it to life. Whether it's 3D printing nose cones, laser cutting fins, sewing parachutes, or turning transition sections, it'll be an experience you won't forget. 

Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled in grades 9-12 (homeschool included) to compete.

Scholarships are available on the Scholarship Tab for those seeking financial assistance.

Like any team sport, attendance is important and we ask that all participants not miss more than one class throughout the project.

COVID-19 Policy

Masks are required for those unable to provide proof of vaccination.

Vector Space instructors are fully vaccinated.