High school students from across the country will get a
chance to soar to new levels — thanks to a partnership
between NASA and sponsors of the Team America Rocketry
Challenge.
The Team America Rocketry Challenge is a first-of-its-kind
national amateur rocket competition for high school students.
Co-sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the
National Association of Rocketry, the challenge is being held
in conjunction with the nationwide Centennial of Flight
celebration in 2003.
The new partnership will tie the Team America Challenge to
NASA’s Student Launch Initiative. The Student Launch
Initiative is an educational activity designed to motivate
students toward careers in science, math and engineering,
while giving them a taste of practical, hands-on aerospace
work. Introduced in the fall of 2000, the program, based at
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.,
inspires students to design, build and launch reusable
rockets and real science payloads.
“We are excited about the opportunity to join two nationally
recognized organizations and expand this opportunity for
using rocketry as a learning tool,” said Art Stephenson,
Marshall Center Director. “The partnership will offer hands-
on experience and provide a learning forum for students and
teachers across the United States through building advanced
reusable rockets.”
The joint venture will enable the top 10 teams in the
Rocketry Challenge competition to submit proposals to
participate in the 2003-2004 Student Launch Initiative at
Marshall. Up to three high school teams will be selected to
participate and be mentored by Marshall engineers and
scientists. With guidance from their mentors and teacher
representatives, each student team will design, build, test
and launch a reusable vehicle and payload aiming for an
altitude of 5,280 feet, or one mile.
After completing the project, the three teams will be
eligible to receive an invitation to attend Space Camp at the
U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.
The Team America Rocketry Challenge will select winners from
the top 100 schools nationwide at a fly-off competition in
Northern Virginia May 10-11, 2003.
For more about the Marshall Center’s Student Launch
Initiative, visit:
