FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I am having trouble opening or downloading the application. What should I do?

You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher to view and download these and other PDF files you will need for this competition. If you do not have 7.0 or higher, go to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html and download a free copy. If you are using a 56K modem, it will take 3-6 minutes to fully download the files on your computer. You need to either be patient or connect to our website with a faster connection. After the file is completely downloaded, save it to your computer by clicking on the little "disk" symbol at the top left side of the PDF form.

I get a Registration Confirmation Email (RCE) everyday. What do I need to do to stop them?

Click on the link in Step One of your RCE. The RCE is sent to all the email addresses you provided on your application. If you did not receive a RCE and your team is listed as a registered team at www.rocketcontest.org, contact us at rocketcontest@aia-aerospace.org.

I signed up to receive updated information about the contest when I came to your website, but I have not received any updates. Is there a problem?

An email is sent to you acknowledging that you have signed up immediately after you submit the form. If you do not receive an email from rocketcontest@aia-aerospace.org, there is either a problem with your server or the email address you provided us does not work (over quota, incorrect, etc). Fill out another form and enter the correct email address or a different email address.

Can you describe the current contest (2008) in a nutshell?

Submit an application for a team of three to 15 students (grades 7-12) before November 30, 2007. Build and fly for a qualification score before April 7, 2008, a model rocket that carries two raw eggs to an altitude as close to 750 feet as possible and stays airborne for as close to 45 seconds as possible. If your score is one of the 100 best, you will be invited to compete for a share of the $60,000 prize package in a national fly-off on May 17, 2008. Read the rest of frequently asked questions and the event rules (Team America Handbook) for details.

How many teams will be allowed to register for the 2008 contest?

The Team America Rocketry Challenge is only open to the first 750 teams that submit a completed application, including payment, postmarked no later than November 30, 2007.

When is the deadline to enter the 2008 competition?

The deadline to complete and submit an application is November 30, 2007. Only the first 750 teams that submit a completed application, including payment, postmarked no later than November 30, 2007, will be allowed to compete in the 2008 contest.

What is the date of the National Finals this year and where will it take place?

The official date is Saturday, May 17, 2008 at Great Meadow in The Plains, VA. The rain date will be Sunday, May 18, 2008.

What has been done this year to reduce the cost and difficulty of the rockets that I will have to build to compete in TARC?

TARC 2008 rules increased the payload to two raw eggs from one egg, and changed the altitude goal to 750 feet from 850. They also added more importance to achieving the duration goal; any difference between flight duration (in seconds) and the 45 second goal is now multiplied by two rather than one when computing score. Finally, the use of multiple stages is no longer allowed, where previously it had been optional (but seldom used). At the Finals this year, the top 18 scoring teams based on the results of all 100 invited teams' first flights will make a second flight. The cash prizes will then be awarded to the top 10 of these 18 teams based on the sum of the scores from their two flights. Previously all teams had only one flight at the Finals.

What do I get for my $90 entry fee?

Your team gets a 30-page Team America Handbook; a DVD by the National Association of Rocketry on the basic skills and techniques for building a model rocket. You also get a certificate entitling you to order the event altimeter, a Perfectflite ALT 15K Rev2 (normally a $75 device) for a special TARC discount of $60, a similar discount on your choice of either RockSim or Space CAD rocket design and flight simulation software, and special TARC team discounts on rocketry components from the official TARC vendors.

Can we install the flight simulation software on more than one computer?

The software may be installed on only one computer at your school only. You may not install it on personal computers at home.

How does the credit card payment process work this year?

This year, there will a place on the application to check if you wish to pay the registration fee by credit card. When we receive your application, we will send a secure link to your email address and you will able to enter your credit card number and pay the registration fee online. Once you have made payment online, your application will then be complete, and you will receive the Registration Confirmation Email.

Who can participate in the 2008 event?

No more than three teams may be entered by any sponsoring organization. The application for a team must come from a single school or a single U.S. incorporated non-profit youth organization (excluding the National Association of Rocketry, Tripoli Rocketry Association, or any other rocket club or organization). Team members must be students who are currently enrolled in grades 7 through 12. Teams may have members from other schools or other organizations. Teams must be supervised by an adult approved by the principal of the school, or by an officially-appointed adult leader of the youth organization. Minimum team size is three students and maximum is fifteen students.

Our middle school includes 6th graders. Can they be team members?

No. The minimum grade level to compete in the contest is 7th grade.

Can a group other than a middle or high school (CAP, 4-H, Scouts, etc.) enter the contest?

Yes, members of the same chapter or unit of a U.S. incorporated non-profit youth organization can form teams and enter the contest, as long as they are all students in 7th through 12th grades.

How do homeschoolers enter this contest?

Homeschoolers can enter as part of a school team with permission of that school's principal, or they can enter by being part of a local chapter of a non-profit organization (Scouts, etc. but not an NAR or TRA club) outside of the school context. If there is a local organization specifically for homeschoolers and at least one of the students is a member of this, this counts as a "non-profit organization" as well.

Can a team be registered before all the members have been selected?

Yes, but when you register you must have at least three members on your team. Your application will be returned if it does not. You can add team members later, up until the first qualification flight attempt.

Can team members be changed at a later date?

Yes, but not after the team's first qualification attempt. However, you must complete and fax or mail an add/drop form and a parent consent form to AIA to add a new team member. Under most circumstances, all team members on the final team must have made a significant contribution to the designing, building, and/or launching of the team's entry, and all team members who made a significant contribution to the designing, building, and/or launching of the team's entry must still be on the team.

How much help can the supervising teacher/adult, mentors, or other individuals who are not on our team provide on our rocket?

None. The rocket that you enter into the Team America event must be entirely designed, built, and flown by the student members of the team. You may get help from outside sources in learning how to build and fly rockets in general, use altimeters, do multi-staging of rockets, design launch systems, etc. You can buy or borrow launching systems. You can practice-fly with a local NAR section and learn how to become an expert rocket flier. But when it is time to do your real design and either your qualification flight or your real flight at the fly-off, this must be done by team members alone. Supervising teachers/adults are not considered members of the team for this purpose; they cannot do the work either.

We have tried the posted list of NAR TARC mentors, but there are none near enough to us to meet with us in-person to help. What can we do now?

Some TARC teams end up with no in-person mentor, either by choice or by necessity, and still manage to launch successful qualification flights. It's just a little more difficult, not impossible. The TARC Handbook and the week-by-week guide to what teams are supposed to be stepping through provide a lot of the guidance that a mentor would do in person, if they are read, understood, and followed. The "Handbook of Model Rocketry", offered for sale to teams at a discount rate from NAR Technical Services is the best start-from-scratch text ever written on how to do model rocketry. The 3 rocketry companies listed in the Handbook that specifically cater to TARC teams can help you on the phone in picking supplies and components if you still cannot interpret their catalogs after reading these resources. And the NAR_TARC Yahoo group that we tell all teams to join is a good place to post questions online to get "virtual" mentoring, or to ask for one of the mentors who is on this forum to contact you by private e-mail for some direct virtual mentoring. The only place and time where you absolutely need a real live in-person NAR adult member is as the official observer for the local qualification flight(s) that come at the end of the team's building and practicing, but no later than the annual qualification flight deadline. You can do this by having an NAR volunteer come to you, by traveling to an organized NAR club launch, or if both of these are too hard then as a last resort by having some impartial local adult, not related to any team member or employed by the team's sponsoring organization, join the NAR (online at www.nar.org is easiest) simply for the purpose of being the flight observer.

What is the objective for the 2008 contest and what is the flight goal?

To build and fly a model rocket carrying two raw eggs that achieves a precise flight duration of forty-five (45) seconds, reaches a precise altitude of 750 feet, and returns both eggs uncracked.

How did the winning teams prepare for previous competitions?

They got started early. They did a lot of research, including on the internet, and identified the companies that sell the supplies they would need to build their rocket. If they had not flown model rockets before, they became familiar with all the rocketry websites, including NAR's, and bought inexpensive kit model rockets to fly before they built their Team America rocket. They organized their teams into committees, headed by one chair person, that were responsible for things like budget, production, operations and launch, testing and development, etc. They flew lots of practice flights, usually starting with only one stage of their two stage rockets, and did this in all weather conditions. They solicited help from local or online NAR mentors. They had great supervisors and most importantly, they had fun and never gave up.

I don't know a lot about rocketry. Where can I get help?

AIA's co-sponsor for this event is the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), America's largest and oldest association of sport rocket fliers. The NAR has a nationwide network of local clubs with experienced rocketeers standing by to provide advice and make their launch sites available for your flights. Many adult NAR will be "mentors" and available to assist individual teams in their local area. If there is not a mentor in your local area, you may work with one in another state via phone or email. Please visit the Team America section of the NAR website at www.nar.org for the latest list of Mentors.

Can we use the parts from a rocket kit in our TARC entry?

You can fly a kit for practice and learning flights, but you must advance to an original design for your actual qualification and finals flights. For this official rocket you can use parts from several kits or any part you want from one kit, as long as you don't use one complete kit with minimal modifications. We want to see originality and design effort go into the rocket that you compete with, it is a major learning objective for the Challenge.

What size egg do we have to use in the contest? Who provides the egg?

The rules for the Team America competition specify that the egg must weigh between 57 and 63 grams and be no more than 45 millimeters diameter. This is usually a Grade A large, although not all Grade A eggs fall within that weight range. We will weigh and provide the eggs at the final fly-off. It is the team's responsibility to provide their own egg in the proper weight/size range for practice and qualification flights.

How will you measure the time duration that my rocket achieves on a qualification flight?

The time is measured from the moment of first motion of the rocket at liftoff, to the point where the portion of the rocket containing the eggs touches the ground, goes behind an object such as a building or tree, or is in any other way lost to the sight of the timers. If the portion of the rocket containing the eggs is connected to other portions of the rocket and is descending together with them, then timing stops when the first portion of this connected assembly touches the ground.

What parts am I allowed to use for our design? Is our rocket allowed to contain metal parts?

The rules state that all Team America rockets must be built and flown in accordance with the Model Rocket Safety Code of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). Under this Code, you may only use lightweight, non-metal parts for the nose, body, and fins of your rocket, those parts which are the main structure of the vehicle. Major internal body parts which are rigidly attached to the body (such as rods that run a good fraction of the length of the body) are considered to be part of the "body" and may not be metal. Carbon, fiberglass, and plastics are all acceptable non-metallic building materials for any part of the rocket. You are allowed to use metal engine hooks, electronic circuit boards, and (if you wish) commercial re-loadable rocket engine casings. You may use commercially-available component parts (body tubes, nose cones, etc.) and may adapt rocket kits for the event, or you can scratch-build components if you prefer. You cannot have a company or an adult custom-build your rocket or any of its components, and if some company should release a kit specifically for this event (none has, so far) you would not be allowed to use such a kit. You may not, however, build the rocket motor. Your rocket must be powered only by commercially-made model rocket motors (G power level and below) that are listed on the TARC Approved Engine List.

I have heard that model rockets require various forms of government permits and permissions to fly. What is required?

Model rockets weighing less than one pound at liftoff and having in them only model rocket motors from the TARC approved motor list that have no more than 4 ounces total of rocket propellant among them all require no Federal permits or permissions to purchase, possess, store, or fly. G motors can only be purchased by people age 18 and older, but subsequent possession and use is not Federally regulated. You must fly model rockets in a manner that does not endanger aircraft in flight (see the NAR Safety Code in your TARC Handbook), but no FAA airspace notification or waiver is required to fly them. Rockets weighing more than one pound but less than 3.3 pounds require FAA pre-flight notification -- see the TARC Handbook for instructions on how to do this. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) explosives permits are not required to possess or store model rocket motors having less than 62.5 grams each of propellant, which includes all TARC-approved motors. There are, however, some Federal limits on how model rocket motors with more than 30 grams of propellant (E, F, and G motors) may be shipped.

Are these rockets dangerous?

Sport rocketry is one of the safest activities in the United States. Rockets flown in accordance with the common-sense Safety Code of the NAR are extremely safe -- none has ever caused a life-threatening injury in 45 years of flying and hundreds of millions of flights. The rockets are powered by prepackaged, commercially-made, and rigorously NAR safety-tested solid fuel motors that are available at local hobby stores. The handbooks provided to each team provide all the guidelines and training any team needs to fly their rockets in complete safety. In addition, the NAR provides those individuals who choose to join the NAR with a $1 million liability insurance policy, and teams with a teacher and 3 or more student members who join the NAR may also get (for $15), this same insurance coverage for the owner of their launch site.

What are the qualification flights all about? How many qualification flights is each team allowed? What is the deadline to conduct the qualification flight?

Hundreds of teams are entering the Team America Challenge from across the country, but our final grand championship fly-off in Northern Virginia can only accommodate 100 teams. Each team must schedule and conduct one, and a maximum of two, qualification flights in the actual presence of a current "Senior" (age 21 or above) member of the NAR, no later than April 7, 2008. A second qualification flight is not required if the team is satisfied with the results of their first one. A qualification flight attempt must be declared before the rocket's motor(s) are ignited. Once an attempt is declared, the results of that flight must be recorded for submission. If the rocket then misfires and does not leave the launch pad, the attempt does not count as one of the two official tries. If the rocket does leave the launch pad, even if not all motors ignite, and even if the flight experiences some other flight vehicle failure, the flight attempt is official. If a rocket experiences a catastrophic failure of one or more rocket motors (burst casing or ejected engine grain) in flight, the attempt may, at the team's discretion, not be counted as official. The supervising teacher/adult (or the NAR observer in the case of unsuccessful official qualification flight attempts) must submit the score report on qualification flights to the AIA offices by April 7, 2008. The top 100 teams will be announced no later than April 11, 2007. Practice flights, before and after your qualification flights, and in a variety of wind and weather conditions, are highly encouraged.

What are the specific detailed instructions and rules for the timers who time my local qualification flight attempts?

First of all, the two timers must be people who have good eyesight! Secondly, you should not fly your rocket so high that it becomes invisible to people who have good eyesight; and of course the NAR Safety Code requires that you not fly your rocket into clouds that make it (and any approaching airplanes) invisible. The first instruction for the timers is to read the TARC rule on "Duration Scoring", which says, in part: "Scores shall be based on total flight duration of the portion of the rocket containing the eggs, measured from first motion at liftoff from the launch pad until the moment of landing or until the rocket can no longer be seen due to distance or to an obstacle. Times must be measured independently by two people not on the team, one of whom is the official NAR-member adult observer, using separate electronic stopwatches accurate to 0.01 seconds. The official duration will be the average of the two times, rounded to the nearest 0.01 second. If one stopwatch malfunctions, the remaining single time will be used." This rule leaves a few details and situations unstated. If the rocket has several attached pieces that descend together, one of which contains the eggs, the time stops when the first part of any of these attached pieces touches the ground. If the rocket flies out of sight on boost, the timers should keep their stopwatches running until they gain sight of the rocket on recovery, and then proceed as described above. If only one timer sees it at first, he/she should coach the other onto the rocket and the other timer should keep his/her stopwatch running until he/she also gains sight. If he/she never gains sight independently, score his/her time as "lost" and use the time of the single timer, like the stopwatch malfunction situation described in the Rules. If neither timer ever sees the rocket, it has scored a "time lost" and does not count as an official flight (this will not be true at the fly-offs). Use of binoculars is OK (these will not be used at the fly-offs), but in the experience of the NAR these tend to hinder timers more than they help them for flights where the intended duration is only around 45 seconds.

Where can I find an observer for my qualification flight who is a Senior NAR member?

Your first place to look is the list of NAR local rocket launches on the NAR website, www.nar.org. This website also lists every local NAR club (called "sections"). If the NAR launch list is not useful, try calling the nearest section. If this does not work and there is a NAR "mentor" nearby, ask him for help. The list is also on the NAR website and the Yahoo "NAR TARC" group forum, which is a prime meeting and advice spot for teams and mentors. This forum is at Finally, it is OK to have an impartial adult who is not related to any member of the team and is not affiliated with the team's school become a NAR member to be an observer. However, it is always better to use an experienced rocketeer to do the observer duties, because they can offer advice and tips at the same time.

Are there any options for our required qualification flight if the nearest NAR section's launch site is a long drive away?

You do not necessarily have to travel to one of the official NAR launches on the NAR website list, or even use one of the "mentors" listed on that website. These are, of course, the preferred methods; but you can also use any Senior (adult) NAR member in your local area or have an impartial adult (not related to any team member or affiliated with the school) join the NAR to do this, to avoid pre-fly-off long-distance travel.

There is not a NAR section close to us. How do we set up a launch site?

If there is not a NAR section nearby, then you simply need to locate an open field of suitable size (approximately 1500 X 2000 feet), get permission from the landowner, and comply with any local laws regarding model rocketry. If your rocket is over one pound liftoff weight, you must notify the local FAA which is explained in the Team America Handbook. Model rocketry is recognized and regulated by the National Fire Protection Association's Code 1122, which local fire officials should be familiar with. There is a safety handout in the last appendix of the Team America Handbook (rules) that you should read and can share with concerned landowners and public safety officials. If the landowner requires liability insurance, your team can obtain it by joining the NAR.

To record altitude data, can we use another brand of altimeter that has the same performance specifications as the Perfectflite ALT15K or ALT15K Rev2?

The only TARC-approved altimeters are one of the two Perfectflite models. You are allowed to use other brands and models of altimeters for other purposes in your rocket, but your official score must come from the same altimeter design as everyone else is using.

I have a Perfectflite ALT15K altimeter left from a previous TARC and the vendor this year is selling only the newer ALT15K Rev2. Can I use my old altimeter?

Yes, either altimeter (but no others) is acceptable for use as the official altimeter for recording your altitude score in a TARC flight.

I have been unable to get some of the rocket motors listed on the TARC list as approved for this event, where can I get them or what can I do?

You have two options. Design your rocket to fly with the motors that are available to you, including using clusters of two or three of these motors in a stage. Or find a mail-order dealer (such as Hangar11 Hobbies, the official retail vendor at the TARC finals, or Balsa Machining Service) who has the motors you want and can ship them to you.

Why does the list of Approved Rocket Motors for TARC have performance values listed for some rocket motors made by Aerotech that are different from the values listed by the company on their website?

Aerotech has recently redesigned several of their larger (F and G power) model rocket motors, and the new performance values have not yet been confirmed in certification testing by the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), which is the source of the data used on the TARC Motor List and in your software. If you wish to use one of these new-production motors and are concerned about using the most accurate data in your pre-launch flight-simulation runs, you can get Aerotech's motor data in thrust-curve level of digital detail in the "Resources" section of the company's website.

The motor that I am interested in using for my TARC rocket has a slightly different manufacturer-labeled designation or total impulse than the motors on the TARC Approved Motor List. Can I still use it in my TARC rocket?

For purposes of determining if a motor is approved for TARC, only three things count: the manufacturer name, the labeled total impulse class, and the labeled average thrust designation. Some manufacturers, particularly Aerotech, have other additional labeled designations such as "W", "FJ", "Econojet", etc . The Aerotech letter coding is a proprietary indication of propellant chemical formulation and the extra words are just brand names. The codes that count for our official purposes are the first letter ("E", "F", etc.) which indicates the motors's total impulse class; and the one or two digits before the dash ("23", "24", etc.) which indicate the motor's average thrust in Newtons. The final digit or digits after the dash in a motor's official designation indicate the motor's delay time between motor propellant burnout and ejection charge activation, in seconds. There are a few cases where the value we list for delay time on the TARC list is not the same as the delay time value that the manufacturer advertises in his catalog. This is because the motor delivered a different delay time (generally by one or two seconds) in the NAR's official certification testing, after the manufacturer printed his catalog. We allow such motors for use in TARC despite this minor delay-time marking discrepancy. Concerning total impulse, some Aerotech motors were slightly redesigned for ease of manufacture in the last several years and their total impulse post-redesign is slightly different from the original design. Both old and new-design motors are in circulation. The TARC motor list reflects the original-design total impulse of these motors; we do not yet have official NAR data for updating the total impulse. It is important to teams to know the correct total impulse of the motor they intend to use, but either version is approved for use in TARC as long as the three key factors on the motor label match what is on the TARC motor list.

The rocket motor that I want to use in my TARC flight is listed in my simulation software but not on the TARC approved rocket engine list. Can it be added to the list or can I use it anyway?

You need to go to the list of TARC-approved rocket motors and select in your software only one of those motors that are on the list. Rocket altitude depends far more strongly on total impulse than any other factor, so substitute for the motor you want to use with one from the list that is closest to its N-sec rating. We have limited TARC only to currently in-production motors, to provide everyone fair and equal opportunity.

Can the student members of my team (under age 18) fly "reloadable" and/or "G" power class single-use model rocket motors in TARC?

Yes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that metal-casing reloadable model rocket motors, and "G" power level model rocket motors of any kind, be sold only to persons age 18 or older, but there are no regulations prohibiting a younger person from assembling and flying a reloadable model rocket motor, or flying a "G" motor, that was purchased by someone else such as the team's adult advisor. Rocket motors with more than 62.5 grams of propellant (a few large G motors and all motors H and above) are "High Power Rocket Motors" which cannot be purchased or flown by persons under age 18 , and which also require user certification from the NAR or other national rocketry organizations.

I want to use an electronically-actuated ejection charge system in the upper stage of my rocket, using loose black powder in a small igniter-fired container to blow out the parachute. Is this permitted?

Handling loose black powder in a rocket's electrically-fired separate ejection charge system is an activity that requires a Low Explosives Users Permit (LEUP) from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. These are available only to adult U.S. citizens. It is also fairly unsafe and completely un-necessary to do this for a rocket that has black powder propellant upper stage engines with built-in (and non-removable) ejection charges. TARC rockets must be prepped and flown in the competition and in their preceding qualification flights by the student team members without adult assistance, so an adult with an LEUP is not a solution to the black powder ejection charge issue. There is no legal solution, so don't do it. Pyrodex is not a real good substitute for black powder for this application, but it is legal.

Can the rocket be launched from a rail?

The contest organizers will provide 6-foot 1/4-inch rods and a standard one-clip-pair per pad multi-pad launch system for all teams to use at the finals. However, teams are welcome to bring their own launch systems, pads, etc., to launch their rocket during qualifications and at the finals.

Can radios such as tracking beacons or radio-control systems be used, and if so are there any frequency limits?

Radio-control systems are not permitted in TARC rockets, only "autonomous" onboard control systems such as timers may be used to control the flight duration of the rockets. Transmit-only tracking beacons for post-flight location of the rocket are permitted.

We would like to build a composite or plastic rocket for the Team America Rocketry Challenge. Would we be violating the rules if we had a trained technician mold it for us at a composite or plastics company using our design specifications?

Yes, you would be violating the Team America Rocketry Challenge rules. The flight vehicle must be made by the student team members. To quote the rules: "Each student member must make a significant contribution to the designing, building, and/or launching of the team's entry; no part of any of these may be done by an adult (including the supervising teacher/adult), by a company (except by sale of standard off-the shelf components, but not kits or designs for the event), or by any person not on that team." Having a custom flight vehicle part fabricated by a composite or plastics company or by a company that does custom fin cutting (even if it is to your design) does not constitute sale of a "standard off the-shelf product" and is not allowed. Having a mandrel fabricated to your specifications that you wrap fiberglass on to make your rocket body would be OK. In this case the company is making a tool that you are using to make the part that flies.

What recovery devices am I allowed to use for my rocket?

There are no restrictions on what recovery devices may be used on any portion of the rocket. Parachutes, streamers, rotor blades, gliding bodies/wings, etc. are all OK if they slow the descent of the piece. All heavy parts (specifically including the portion containing the eggs, and all rocket motor casings that separate from an airframe) must, however, deploy some form of recovery system to slow them to a safe velocity all the way to the ground. No form of external human command signal (such as radio-control) can be used to control the duration of the rocket's flight, but onboard autonomous systems (such as timers) are OK. The egg capsule must not completely shed all recovery devices and free-fall to the ground at any point, such as when a timer actuates.

How can my school afford to send an entire team to the finals?

One hundred of the best teams from across the country will be invited to compete in the finals on May 17, 2008, at Great Meadow, The Plains, VA. The entire team does not necessarily have to come to the finals, although we expect at least one member plus the supervising teacher/adult, or parent of a team member, to attend if a team is selected. Because the rockets for this event are fairly complex and only student team members are allowed to prepare and launch their rockets, it may be advisable to have more than one student team member at any of the launches of your rocket. We do recommend that teams establish a budget committee which would track the team finances and solicit sponsorships from local businesses in their communities. Think about the organizations, businesses or people in your community that are supportive of education and technology. These are good places to start. You may need to do a little research and brainstorm with your teacher supervisor and family members to come up with some good leads. Teams are also encouraged to contact sponsoring companies listed on the TARC website. The 39 Partner companies have facilities spread across the country and many are willing to sponsor local teams. All teams selected for the finals must make their own travel and lodging arrangements. The TARC staff has reserved blocks of motel rooms near the flyoff site at special rates for TARC teams. This information will be provided to teams accepted for the flyoffs.

Can teams sell decal spots on their rocket to raise money to participate in the contest?

Yes! This is a great way to fund your team's participation in the Team America Rocketry Challenge. Also, your sponsors may get national coverage if you qualify for the finals and win the contest! We have compiled a list of fundraising ideas that have worked for finalists in the past and will be posting those on the website.

How does the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Membership Discount Program for Team America participants work?

NAR membership is not required to participate in the Team America event. However, participants may find it beneficial to join the NAR for the $1 million insurance coverage for launches, the color Sport Rocketry magazine, and many other service benefits. The NAR has developed a special program for the Team America Rocketry Challenge. Under this program, if the supervising teacher joins at the regular adult (Senior) rate of $62 per year, the student members of the teacher's team can join for $12 off the regular rate of $25 for Junior (age 15 and under) or Leader (age 16-20) membership. Student members who take advantage of the discounted rate will not receive the Sport Rocketry magazine.

I have read all the frequently asked questions, the rules, and have scoured both this website and the NAR website. However, I still have questions or concerns about the contest. What should I do?

Contact us at rocketcontest@aia-aerospace.org.

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