Tharptown High School from Russellville, Alabama, representing the United States, placed second in the International Rocketry Challenge at the Farnborough International Airshow located outside London — in a spirited showdown, the United Kingdom’s team clinched first place, narrowly surpassing the Tharptown team in the closest-ever scoring for this international competition. Japan secured third place, with France following in fourth place.
The Tharptown students won the opportunity to represent the United States by securing the title of National Champion at the 22nd annual American Rocketry Challenge National Finals in May. The team bested a record-breaking 922 middle and high school teams who participated in the design, build, and launch competition.
Tharptown High School team members are Kylee Beard (team captain), Adrionna Ashley, Angie Chavez, Angel Franco, Frank Gutierrez, Isabella Hall, Shyla Martinez, and Jessie Mitchell. The team is mentored by Andrew Heath, captain of the Russellville City Schools team that won the International Rocketry Challenge in 2015.
As part of the International Rocketry Challenge, teams were tasked with launching a raw hen egg to an altitude of 820 feet and safely returning it to Earth within a tight time window of 43 to 46 seconds. In addition to the rocket launches, students delivered presentations about their rocket designs and lessons learned to industry experts. Rocket flights accounted for 60% of the team’s overall score, while the presentation component contributed 40%.
The event serves as the final round of competition following four other national rocketry challenges held annually around the globe, including the award-winning American Rocketry Challenge, sponsored by AIA and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). The other three national rocketry challenges are the UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC), sponsored by ADS Group LTD; the French Rocketry Challenge, sponsored by the Groupement des Industries Francaises Aeronautiques et Spatiales (GIFAS) and Planete Sciences; and the Japanese Rocketry Challenge, sponsored by the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC) and the Japan Association of Rocketry.
Eric Fanning, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), which sponsors the competition, praised the team’s success and said, “Tharptown High School’s achievement exemplifies the spirit of innovation and collaboration that drives the American aerospace industry forward. Beyond the competition, these young minds are contributing to a brighter future where curiosity and ingenuity meet the world’s most pressing challenges. Congratulations to all the teams — we can’t wait to witness your remarkable work unfold in the future.”
“This year’s participants took on the challenge to design, build, and launch each model rocket, and by doing so demonstrated their ability to innovate, create and collaborate – key skills we need in our future leaders to create a safer and more connected world,” said Pam Erickson, senior vice president & chief communications officer, RTX. “Congratulations to all teams who represented at this year’s International Rocketry Challenge, including the students of Tharptown High School who represented the United States.”
This is the 17th year that RTX has sponsored Team USA, enabling the teams to attend an international air show and compete in the International Rocketry Challenge.
