Competition Rules

Challenge 2024-25 Overview

Participants in teams of three must design, build, and successfully launch/recover a rocket to reach an altitude of 400 ft, return within 30-33 seconds, and contain a payload of one large hen’s egg. The painted or decorated rocket must be of two different body tube diameters. The bottom section must be at least 8 inches long. The rocket must have only one stage and be powered by one commercially-made model rocket motor of “E” or lower power class. The rocket must be recovered in one piece using at least one parachute. Launching with a launch lug is encouraged as this is the most common equipment on the field.

Oral Presentation Requirements

Teams should use PowerPoint, Google Slides, or similar software to create the presentation of no more than 20 slides. The first slide should be a cover page (team name, member names, and mission patch). The second slide is the introduction of team members. The remainder of the presentation must include diagrams, pictures, graphs, and videos of students’ work collected during the season.

Successful teams will use the presentation to explain the rocket—how it was designed/built, dimensions and weight, and motor type. Groups should also apply Newton’s Laws of Motion to rocket flight, explain how data was collected, and demonstrate the difference between weight/mass. Teams should also explain how data determined any adjustments made to the rocket to make sure the rocket performed to specifications.

The final slides should discuss how the lessons learned during the competition season apply to members’ lives and the aerospace industry. For example, learning can be applied to past and future NASA, SpaceX, etc., missions, to possible careers in aerospace/STEAM fields, and any changes in goals after graduation from high school.

Click here to access the supplemental packet.

Pilot Year Promotional Video

Teams of Three Students

complete a variety of STEM design challenges,

build and launch model rockets,

deliver a 10-minute oral presentation,

and maintain an Engineering Design Notebook.

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