Team America Rocketry Challenge 2007 Championships Flown
The Team America Rocketry Challenge of 2007, co-sponsored by the NAR and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) completed its annual Finals head-to-head championships on Saturday, May 19. This was a head-to-head single-flight flyoff among the top 100 of the 690 enrolled 7th-12th grade TARC 2007 student teams from around the US. Congratulations to the winning team, from Newark Memorial High School of Newark, CA who won not only $10,500 cash for the student team members and $1,000 for their school, but also a trip for the whole team to attend the June Paris Air Show as VIP guests of the Raytheon Corporation. A total of $60,000 in cash prizes were awarded to the top 10 teams. The top 25 teams will be invited to participate in the NASA Student Launch Initiative program for the next academic year.
The Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Robert Gates, was the principal speaker and presenter of awards at the final ceremony. Also attending TARC were the Secretary and the Undersecretary of the Air Force, the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, 5 veteran astronauts including Buzz Aldrin and the NAR's own Jay Apt, and innumerable senior officials of NASA and the Department of Defense. The opening flyover was provided by a USAF F-117 stealth fighter. The winning team from UKAYROC, the exact same event flown this year in England for the first time, was present at TARC 2007 as guests and guest-fliers. The National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and AIA, co-sponsors of TARC, thank all the NAR members and sections who participated in TARC 2007 both locally, and as one of the 110 NAR range crew at the Finals, for all that you have done in passing on our enthusiasm for aerospace to the next generation. This is the purpose of TARC, to build the next generation of US aerospace professionals and adult NAR members. By mid-June, TARC 2008 and its flight goals will be anounced. Registration will open in early September. Expect event rules very similar to TARC 2007, but with a different altitude-duration combination. If you would like to get on the list to receive information as soon as it is released, go to www.rocketcontest.org. If you'd like to be an NAR local volunteer "mentor" working with TARC student teams in your area, contact the NAR's TARC Manager, Trip Barber at ahbarber@alum.mit.edu