American Rocketry Challenge
The American Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest rocket contest with nearly 5,000 students nationwide competing each year. The contest gives middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build, and launch model rockets and hands-on experience solving engineering problems.
2024 National Finalists Announced!
After months of designing, building, launching, tweaking, launching, tweaking some more, and launching again, the top 100 teams who qualified for the 2024 National Finals have been announced. These teams creativity and ingenuity helped them build rockets that most accurately met this year’s requirements, standing out among a record-breaking 922 teams who entered the competition in 2024.
Rocket Contest Alum Travels to International Space Station
On March 2, 2023, American Rocketry Challenge alum Warren “Woody” Hoburg launched to the International Space Station as the mission pilot for a six-month mission as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6. Woody participated in the first-ever American Rocketry Challenge in 2003, then known as the Team America Rocketry Challenge, as a North Allegheny High School (Pennsylvania) team member, alongside his brother.
2023 National Champions: Hardin Valley Academy Team 1
Hardin Valley Academy Team 1 tops among 100 teams competing in National Finals and the nearly 800 that entered the 2023 American Rocketry Challenge
Hardin Valley Academy Team 1 from Knoxville, Tenn. today were crowned National Champion at the world’s largest student rocketry competition – the American Rocketry Challenge. Hardin Valley Academy Team 1 had the best score of 100 teams from across the country competing at the National Finals, which took place at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.
2024 Rules
Check out the 2024 design requirements and get ready to launch. Registration for the 2024 American Rocketry Challenge is open. The registration period will close once the first 1,000 teams submit a completed application, including payment, between June 1 and December 1, 2023.
NASA Space Act Agreement
Built on the shared interest in attracting diverse groups of students to STEM and aerospace, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) announced it signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to inspire the next generation of aerospace and STEM professionals. The agreement will enable AIA to expand upon its award-winning American Rocketry Challenge program to create opportunities that broaden student participation in aerospace and provide connections to NASA’s Artemis program and other NASA missions.
The World's Largest Student Rocket Contest
Compete against hundreds of teams nationally for the chance to win $100,000 in prizes and an all-expenses paid trip to the Paris Airshow.
Learn more about the American Rocketry ChallengeThank You To Our Partners
The American Rocketry Challenge allows me to engage and participate in a nationwide competition while learning and having fun with people that have similar likes and talents.
Kyra Wagner, Team Captain
Webster City, IA
The American Rocketry Challenge provides me the opportunity to give my students an endeavor that fosters curiosity, imagination, and scientific skills in the firmest spirit of collaborative enterprise.
Greg Severino, Teacher
Philadelphia, PA
TARC introduces students to the realities of the real world engineering pursuits, teaching them to attack not just the solvable problems but also face and learn how to mitigate the factors that they do not have control over.
Pavel Pinkas, Mentor
Madison, WI
Our Social Media
Get In Touch
Don’t see the answer to your question? Want to learn more? Get in touch and someone from our team with reach out to you shortly.
Contact UsSubscribe to the American Rocketry Challenge mailing list to learn more about the contest.
Sign Up Now