Curious fans of rockets and the exploration of space, are the perfect candidates to participate in the annual American Rocketry Challenge. To date, nearly 90,000 middle and high school students have participated in the Challenge since it initially launched 21 years ago.
The 2023 Challenge, to be held on May 20 in Manasses, VA., will see 100 teams compete in the National Finals, as they seek ultimate recognition as National Champion.
In order to reach the finals, upwards of 800 teams competed for the top honors. 4,500 students from 45 states were tasked with designing, building, and launching model rockets that would successfully:
Carry one large hen egg to an altitude of 850 feet
Stay airborne for between 42 and 45 seconds
Return the rocket to the ground safely
As if that was tough enough, the students were also instructed to build a rocket that would separate into two parts after apogee—one section of the rocket must contain the egg and altimeter, and the second the rocket motor(s)—and both parts must land with their own parachutes.
In WNY, one team met the stipulations of the American Rocketry Challenge, which is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry, and more than 20 industry partners. The team – The Freeloaders – from East Aurora Union Free School District, will soon be heading to Manasses to compete in the National Finals.
Ultimately, the crowning champion of the Challenge will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to the International Rocketry Challenge at the Paris Air Show in June, where teams will be competing for $100,000 in prizes. Plus, the top 25 teams will be invited to NASA’s Student Launch workshop.
It is interesting to note that one of the past Challenge champions is Warren “Woody” Hoburg, who made the National Finals of the American Rocketry Challenge in 2002. This past March, Hoburg was the pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station. Hoburg (and his esteemed voyage) is yet another captivating reason that so many young students are inspired to work towards achieving their goals in the field of rocketry.
“For the last 21 years, the American Rocketry Challenge has inspired and cultivated thousands of scientists, engineers, and business leaders working on today’s most dynamic aerospace missions,” said Eric Fanning, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). “When 100 teams compete for the title of National Champion in May, it is fitting that a Challenge alumnus will be circling above them as an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. I can’t wait to see which team’s ingenuity and critical thinking will help them earn the title of National Champion!”
The Freeloaders team is made up of five sophomores at East Aurora Union Free School District: Evan Saczuk, Ian Waite, Greg Wilber, Jacob Holko, and Elliot Marshall
In Buffalo, we will be rooting for The Freeloaders – a team that has previously made the National Finals – to realize their dreams, while capturing the imaginations of countless rocketeers.
To follow and support the team on the road to the National Finals, use the official hashtag #rocketchallenge. For more information about the contest, visit www.rocketcontest.org.
You can also view the top 100 teams here: rocketcontest.org/result/2023-finalists
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