What Goes Up Must Come Down... Intact!

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is hosting the fifth-annual Team America Rocketry Challenge scheduled for May 19, 2007 -- registration began September 6th.

Contest rules set flight goals at 45 seconds of flight and an altitude of 850 feet. Teams earn a point for each second or foot more or less than the goal -- the lowest score wins. The required raw-egg payload must survive  the flight intact (no cracks) for teams to avoid disqualification.

Applications must be received by November 15, 2006 and applicant teams must qualify before April 9, 2007. The competition's final round is to be held at Great Meadows in The Plains, VA.

Teams consist of 7-12 graders from any US school or non-profit youth organization. The competition drew 7000 participants from all over the country last year. AIA estimates 37,000 have participated since the first contest in 2003. Top honors went to a team from the Statesville Christian School, in Statesville, NC.

The winning teams share $60,000 in cash and savings bonds, and NASA and the Defense Department contribute additional prizes. Registration costs $90.

The competition is sponsored by AIA along with the National Association of Rocketry. Co-sponsors include NASA, DOD, the American Association of Physics Teachers and 39 AIA member companies.

FMI: www.rocketcontest.org