CONTEST EMAIL ARCHIVES

Date: 05/30/2006

Subject: Turner students have a blast with rocketry

Turner students have a blast with rocketry
Originally Published May 25, 2006
Berthoud, CO
http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/main.php?story_id=960&page=31

Aspiring rocket scientists from Turner Middle School set their sights on some heavenly goals this past year and though they fell short of the highest, they have still become local stars.

Students at the local middle school formed a rocket club that participated in the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) earlier this month.

The only national rocket competition for middle and high school teams, TARC is sponsored by AIA and the National Association of Rocketry in partnership with NASA, the Defense Department, and the Civil Air Patrol.

A total of 39 AIA member companies are sponsoring this year's challenge. NASA and DOD have contributed additional prizes, including a chance for students to build an advanced rocket, and science and technology tool kits for teachers. AIA member company Raytheon is sending the winning team to the Farnborough International Air show near London in July.

This year's contest is more challenging than previous years because teams had to shoot for goals covering both flight altitude and duration. The teams attempt to design rockets that rise to 800 feet with a flight lasting 45 seconds, with the closest to both winning. The rockets' raw-egg payload must return to the ground unbroken.

Volunteers, Pat and Susan Kemp, led the team of 10 Turner Students with extra help from Lance Morgan.

The participating students were: Chris Fulka, Tim Fulka, Keegan Hand, Adam Kemp, Sarah Kemp, Max Kleber, Parker Morgan, Lydia Munoz, Austin Puckett, and Luke Taylor.

The group met every week starting in November until they had built two prototype rockets. Joe Cowan, a National Association of Rocketry member, and owner of Hobby Town in Longmont, witnessed their qualifying launch.

The team scored 21.185, which is the combined difference of the feet flown and the time in the air from the goal.

About 7,000 students on 678 teams from 47 states and the District of Columbia took part in the competition, with the top 100 squads reaching the finals. Winning teams share a prize pool of more than $60,000 in savings bonds and cash. The team from Turner Middle School placed 101, just one short of qualifying for the national competition.

Return to TARC E-mails.