Why participate in TARC?

$60,000 in Annual Prizes for Students & Schools

*This event is an annual nation-wide rocketry-based aerospace design and flying challenge competition for student teams of 7th-12th graders.
*It is conducted during each school year starting in September, leading to a competitive face-to-face fly-off for the final prizes among the top 100 teams nationally. This is held in late May at The Plains, VA, near Washington, DC.
*It is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) on behalf of America’s aerospace industry, and by the National Association of Rocketry (NAR).

PURPOSE
The purpose of the Challenge is to teach students aerospace science by having them design and build a safe and stable model rocket that lifts a fragile payload (one raw egg) to exactly 750 feet and has a flight duration of exactly 45 seconds, at the end of which it returns this payload to earth safely and undamaged.
*Models must be made of non-metal materials such as balsa, paper and plastic, must weigh no more than 3.3 pounds at liftoff, and must use commercially-made, NAR safety-certified model rocket motors widely available in local hobby stores.
*Altitudes are determined by a small, accurate commercially-made electronic barometric altimeter carried within the rocket, and read after the flight.

ELIGIBILITY & ENTRY
* Entry is open to groups of 3 to 10 students (7th - 12th grade) who must enter as a team sponsored by a public or private school, home school association, or non-profit youth group, under the supervision of an adult from that school or group.
*Visit the event website to register. Entry opens in early September and closes December1st. Visit the NAR website for information about America's largest sport rocketry organization.