WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire/

The Aerospace Industries Association today announced the top 100 finalists for the second annual Team America Rocketry Challenge -- the world's largest model rocket contest. A field of more than 600 middle and high school teams -- more than 7,000 students -- was narrowed down in regional fly-offs to the top ranking 100 teams. The students were asked to design, build and test a model rocket that could fly as close to 1,250 feet as possible with a payload of two raw eggs, and then parachute the eggs back to the ground unbroken. The top 100 teams come from 31 states across the nation. A list of the teams is available at http://www.rocketcontest.org.

The finals will be held on May 22, at Great Meadow, The Plains, VA, just outside of Washington, D.C. The winning teams will share a prize pool of $60,000 in savings bonds and cash. The only national rocket competition for middle and high school teams, the Team America Rocketry Challenge is sponsored by AIA and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and 20 AIA member companies. NASA has contributed additional prizes, including a chance for students to build an advanced rocket and the opportunity for teachers to attend an advanced NASA rocketry workshop, meet with NASA engineers, and tour the Marshall Space Flight Center.

AIA President and CEO John W. Douglass said AIA had originally created the contest as a one-time event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight, but had decided to hold it again after receiving hundreds of requests from students, teachers and parents. AIA's goal in this contest is to encourage students to enter careers in aerospace fields, he said, adding that this year's performance requirements for the model rockets would remain quite challenging. He noted that only one team last year -- the winning team from Boonesboro, MD -- hit the altitude goal of 1,500 feet perfectly without cracking the payload of two raw eggs.

Guests at the finals will include U.S. Senator Mike Enzi from Wyoming, NASA engineer and author Homer Hickam, the original "rocket boy" who inspired the movie "October Sky," David King, Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center, Craig Steidle, NASA Associate Administrator for the Moon/Mars program, Adena Loston, NASA Associate Administrator for Education, and Patricia Grace Smith, FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation. In addition, NASA astronauts Jay Apt and Charlie Walker will attend the event.

For more information about AIA's Team America Rocketry Challenge, including details on how to sponsor a high school team and to apply for press credentials to attend the finals, visit http://www.rocketcontest.org.
 

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