Team America Rocketry Challenge
Encyclopedia
The Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is an annual American
model rocketry competition for students in grades 7 to 12 sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry
. The competition began in 2003 as a way to mark the 100th anniversary of flight, but due to a high level of interest it became an annual occurrence. It fosters interest in aerospace engineering careers among the participants, and the national Fly-off in May is an opportunity for corporations, universities, and the armed services to attract students.
The goal of TARC is to design, build and launch a rocket that can safely carry one or two egg
s and consistently come very close to a certain flight altitude and duration. Doing well involves good design, workmanship, and altitude prediction, which means that students can learn about engineering
, aerodynamics
, meteorology
, and computer simulation from the competition. A team's score is the sum of the difference between their altitude and the target altitude and twice the difference between their duration and the target duration; the lower the score, the better. Many teams consistently achieve scores less than 10.
The teams with the top 100 qualifying scores submitted in April competed in the National Fly-off that is held during the middle of May at Great Meadow
in The Plains, Virginia
. The event receives local and national media coverage and has had several well-known attendees. The 2006 Fly-off was attended by Buzz Aldrin
and NASA
Associate Administrator Rex Geveden
. As the role of TARC as a means to replenish the aerospace industry workforce is increasingly emphasized, the 2007 competition featured several prominent figures. United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
gave a speech and gave out the awards to the top 10 teams; other attendees included Jay Apt, NASA Associate Administrator Scott Horowitz, Under Secretary of the Air Force Ron Sega and Aldrin, all former astronauts, along with other representatives from the Defense Department, NASA, and the FAA. The winner of the UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge also made a demonstration launch. The winner receives a trip to the Paris Air Show
or the Farnborough Airshow in the England depending on which is hosting a show. (alternates to every other year) The trip is provided by Raytheon Corporation, the top 10 teams receive a share of $60,000 in scholarship money, and the top 25 teams are invited to submit a proposal for one of 15 spots in NASA's Student Launch Initiative (NASA is a government partner in the event). There are 35 awards awarded by the AIA member corporations in various categories.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
model rocketry competition for students in grades 7 to 12 sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry
National Association of Rocketry
The National Association of Rocketry is the governing body for the sport/hobby of model rocketry in the United States. It was established in 1957 by Orville Carlisle and G. Harry Stine and is currently headed by Trip Barber. It is the oldest and largest model rocketry governing body in the...
. The competition began in 2003 as a way to mark the 100th anniversary of flight, but due to a high level of interest it became an annual occurrence. It fosters interest in aerospace engineering careers among the participants, and the national Fly-off in May is an opportunity for corporations, universities, and the armed services to attract students.
The goal of TARC is to design, build and launch a rocket that can safely carry one or two egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
s and consistently come very close to a certain flight altitude and duration. Doing well involves good design, workmanship, and altitude prediction, which means that students can learn about engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
, meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
, and computer simulation from the competition. A team's score is the sum of the difference between their altitude and the target altitude and twice the difference between their duration and the target duration; the lower the score, the better. Many teams consistently achieve scores less than 10.
The teams with the top 100 qualifying scores submitted in April competed in the National Fly-off that is held during the middle of May at Great Meadow
Great Meadow
Great Meadow is a field events center and steeplechase course located in The Plains, Virginia. It is operated under the stewardship of the Great Meadow Foundation, a 501 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of open space for community use.Great Meadow and the Great Meadow...
in The Plains, Virginia
The Plains, Virginia
The Plains is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. It is centered around Virginia Route 55 and Virginia Route 245...
. The event receives local and national media coverage and has had several well-known attendees. The 2006 Fly-off was attended by Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Associate Administrator Rex Geveden
Rex Geveden
Rex Geveden is the president of Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama. Previously he was the Associate Administrator of NASA. He was selected for that position by NASA chief Michael Griffin on August 17, 2005, after having served in an acting capacity since June of that year. Griffin...
. As the role of TARC as a means to replenish the aerospace industry workforce is increasingly emphasized, the 2007 competition featured several prominent figures. United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
gave a speech and gave out the awards to the top 10 teams; other attendees included Jay Apt, NASA Associate Administrator Scott Horowitz, Under Secretary of the Air Force Ron Sega and Aldrin, all former astronauts, along with other representatives from the Defense Department, NASA, and the FAA. The winner of the UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge also made a demonstration launch. The winner receives a trip to the Paris Air Show
Paris Air Show
The Paris Air Show is the world's oldest and largest air show. Established in 1909, it is currently held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France...
or the Farnborough Airshow in the England depending on which is hosting a show. (alternates to every other year) The trip is provided by Raytheon Corporation, the top 10 teams receive a share of $60,000 in scholarship money, and the top 25 teams are invited to submit a proposal for one of 15 spots in NASA's Student Launch Initiative (NASA is a government partner in the event). There are 35 awards awarded by the AIA member corporations in various categories.
National Flyoffs
| Contest Year | Launch date | Egg Count | Height Goal | Time Goal | Other Construction Parameters | Contest Winner | Winning Score | Special Guests and Events | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | 2 | 1500ft (457m) | - | Rocket must have two stages. | Rocket Boys Rocket Boys Rocket Boys is the first memoir in a series of three, by Homer Hickam, Jr. It is a story of growing up in a mining town, and a boy's pursuit of amateur rocketry in a coal mining town. It won the in 1998, the year of its release. Today, it is one of the most often picked community/library reads in... author Homer Hickam Homer Hickam Homer Hadley Hickam, Jr. is an American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer. His autobiographical novel Rocket Boys: A Memoir, was a #1 New York Times Best Seller, is studied in many American and international school systems, and was the basis for the popular film October Sky... , NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe Sean O'Keefe Sean O'Keefe is the CEO of EADS North America, a subsidiary of the European aerospace firm EADS, a former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana State University . O'Keefe is also a former member of the board of directors of DuPont... |
First annual TARC contest. | |||
| 2003-04 | May 15, 2004 | 2 | 1250ft (381m) | - | Rocket must again have two stages. | ||||
| 2004-05 | May 22, 2005 | 2 | 1250ft (381m) | - | Rockets again must have | Dakota County 4-H Federation, Farmington, Minnesota Farmington, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 12,365 people, 4,169 households, and 3,255 families residing in the city. The population density was 986.0 people per square mile . There were 4,233 housing units at an average density of 337.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 95.62%... |
|||
| 2005-06 | 1 | 800ft (244m) | 45 sec | Statesvile Christian School | 1.79 | NASA Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Associate Administrator Rex Geveden | |||
| 2006-07 | 1 | 850ft (259m) | 45 Sec | Newark Memorial High School Newark Memorial High School Newark Memorial High School is a comprehensive high school in Newark, California. It is located to the southeast of Newark's business district, between I-880 and San Francisco Bay.- History :... |
1.86 | Secretary of Defense Robert Gates Robert Gates Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W.... and Astronaut Jay Apt |
|||
| 2007-08 | 2 | 750ft (229m) | 45 Sec | Enloe High School Enloe High School The William G. Enloe GT/IB Center for the Humanities, Sciences, and the Arts, more commonly called Enloe High School , is a Wake County public magnet, Gifted & Talented, and International Baccalaureate high school located in east Raleigh, North Carolina. The school is named after William Gillmore... (Team 2) |
(Flight 1) 17.64 (Flight 2) 6.3 (Total) 23.94 | Contest adopts new two round flyoff. Best 18 scores move to second round. | |||
| 2008-09 | 1 | 750ft (229m) | 45 Sec | Egg must lay on its side. | Madison West High School Madison West High School Madison West High School is one of four comprehensive four-year high schools in Madison, Wisconsin. It was established in 1930. Its mascot is the "Reggie the Regent," a lion, and its school colors are maize and blue... (Team 3) |
(Flight 1) 11.94 (Flight 2) 8.6 (Total) 20.54 | Second round becomes best of 20. | ||
| 2009-10 | 1 | 825ft (251.5m) | 45 Sec | Portion of Rocket containing egg must return with streamer. | Penn Manor High School Penn Manor High School Penn Manor High School is a large secondary school located in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It is home to approximately 1900 students. It is part of the Penn Manor School District.-History:... (Team 1) |
(Flight 1) 3 (Flight 2) 23.32 (Total) 26.32 | Duff Goldman Duff Goldman Jeffrey Adam "Duff" Goldman is a pastry chef and television personality. He is the executive chef of the Baltimore-based Charm City Cakes shop which is featured in the Food Network reality television show Ace of Cakes... attends with cakes to be flown on a rocket. Rocket is launched on a K size rocket motor to 665 ft (202.7 m). Cake sustained slight damage but was mostly whole. Launch was shown on Goldman's reality show Ace of Cakes Ace of Cakes Ace of Cakes is an American reality television show which airs on the Food Network. The show focuses on the daily operations of Duff Goldman's custom cake shop, Charm City Cakes, in Baltimore, Maryland; including small-business ownership, working with various vendors, tasting with customers,... |
Second Round becomes best of 10. | |
| 2010-11 | May 15, 2011 | 1 | 750ft (229m) | 40-45 Sec | Portion of Rocket containing egg must return with 15in (38cm) parachute. | Rockwell-Heath High School (Team 1) | (Flight 1) 14 (Flight 2) 2 (total) 16 | Second Round returns to best of 20. | |
| 2011-12 | May 12, 2012 | 2 | 800ft (244m) | 43-47 Sec |