American Rocketry Challenge
The American Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket competition, has engaged over 100,000 middle and high school students in model rocketry. The challenge provides a yearlong opportunity to gain hands-on engineering experience by designing, building, testing, and launching model rockets to meet rigorous requirements. The program fosters leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills as students deepen their interest and passion for aerospace and STEM.
2025 Finalists Announced: Top 100 Teams Ready for Launch in the World’s Largest Student Rocketry Competition
To qualify for the National Finals, participating teams designed, built, and launched model rockets that safely carry two raw eggs to an altitude of 790 feet, stay airborne for between 41 and 44 seconds, and return the rocket to the ground safely. The requirements for the National Finals will be modified to introduce a new challenge to the teams. Competition finalists will compete for $100,000 in prizes and the prestigious title of National Champion. The winning team will then represent the United States and compete at the International Rocketry Challenge in June at the Paris Air Show.
Boosting Rocketry Dreams: 14 Student Teams Awarded STEM Innovation Grants for World’s Largest Youth Rocketry Competiton
The Aerospace Industries Association’s American Rocketry Challenge awarded 14 STEM Innovation grants to Title I schools in 11 states and the District of Columbia. These grants further underscore the association’s commitment to empowering students in STEM. Click below to read more!
See the 1,001 Teams for the 2025 Challenge!
The 2025 competition features 1,001 teams from 46 states and Washington, DC. Click below to see the full team list and a map of this year’s competitors.
2025 Rocketry Starter Kit
Get all the details for the 2025 competition including this year’s challenge, scoring, suggested schedule of activities, rocketry vocabulary, and a sample letter for potential team sponsors.
Alabama Students Crowned National Champion in World’s Largest Rocketry Challenge
Tharptown High School from Russellville, Alabama earned the title of National Champion at the world’s largest rocketry competition, the American Rocketry Challenge. Tharptown High School bested a record-breaking 922 teams that entered the competition at the start of the year and the top 100 teams competing at National Finals on Sunday, designing, building, and launching a model rocket with greater precision than any other team in the country.
American Rocketry Challenge alum turned NASA Astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg joined the thousands of people in attendance. It was a full circle moment for Hoburg as he competed in the National Finals of the inaugural American Rocketry Challenge in 2003 as a member of his high school team.
2024 National Finals Results
See the full results from the 2024 National Finals.
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.
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 Competition
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
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