American Rocketry Challenge
Scholarship Sponsored by National Association of Rocketry
Overview
The American Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest student rocketry competition, offering middle and high school students a yearlong engineering challenge. Participants design, build, test, and launch model rockets to meet strict performance and safety requirements. The program emphasizes hands-on STEM experience while developing leadership, teamwork, and problem‑solving skills. Top teams receive national recognition and may earn the opportunity to represent the United States internationally.
Description: A curricular and extracurricular program that guides teams through the full engineering cycle—concept, design, fabrication, testing, and flight—culminating in a competitive launch event.
History of the Award: Over its history the challenge has engaged more than 110,000 middle and high school students and is recognized as the largest student rocketry competition in the world.
- Largest student rocketry competition worldwide.
- Hands-on engineering experience across the full project lifecycle.
- Develops leadership, teamwork, and STEM skills.
Eligibility & Registration
Teams composed of students in grades 6 through 12 are eligible to compete. Registration is currently open, and teams typically register through the program’s official channels before participating in regional and national events. The competition welcomes school-affiliated teams, clubs, and community groups that meet the age and grade requirements. Registered teams compete for awards, national recognition, and potential international representation.
Eligibility: Open to middle and high school students in grades 6–12; teams can form through schools, clubs, or community organizations.
Application Timeline: Registration is open now; teams should consult the official program site for detailed deadlines and event dates.
- Open to grades 6–12.
- Register your team through the program’s registration process.
- Check the official site for deadlines and event schedules.
Competition Rules
The competition defines precise performance targets and payload requirements that teams must meet during flight. Rockets must carry and protect specified payloads, achieve a target altitude, and land within a required flight-time window. Compliance with the rules ensures fairness and safety while encouraging engineering creativity and optimization. Teams are judged on meeting those constraints reliably under flight conditions.
Payload: The rocket must cradle two raw Grade A large eggs (55–63 grams each) in any orientation and return them uncracked.
Altitude Goal: The target altitude for the 2027 challenge is 800 feet.
Flight Time: The rocket’s total flight time must safely return to earth within a 37–40 second window.
- Strict payload protection requirement for eggs.
- Defined altitude and flight-time targets must be met.
- Safety and reliability are core judging criteria.
How to Compete
Competing involves a yearlong cycle of planning, designing, building, testing, and refining a model rocket to meet the competition’s constraints. Teams iterate through prototype testing and performance tuning to achieve the required altitude and flight time while protecting the payload. The process emphasizes collaborative problem-solving and hands-on application of STEM principles, with mentorship often provided by teachers or volunteer advisors. Successful teams coordinate logistics, document their work, and perform flight tests leading up to competition events.
Description: Form a team, register for the challenge, follow the design-build-test-launch cycle, and prepare for regional and national flight events.
- Iterative design and real-world testing are essential.
- Teamwork and documentation support consistent performance.
- Mentorship and advisor involvement strengthen outcomes.