The Saratoga Springs High School NASA Club is one of two competitors from New York to qualify for the May 11 Team American Rocketry Challenge National Finals in Virginia.
The team, from left to right in the photo, consists of juniors Connor McFarland, Charlie McCabe, Jay Murray, Steve Leonard, Mike Gregory, and freshman Michael Young. The team is hoping to raise $3,000 to support the trip.
To qualify for the trip, the team had to design, build and fly a rocket that carried a raw egg up to an altitude of 750 feet, and then land it without cracking the egg. After spending several weekends practicing, the team qualified for the national event by completing a successful flight while being observed by a mentor from the National Association of Rocketry. Nationally, 725 teams competed, and Saratoga’s team is one of 100 selected to attend the nationals.
For more information about the team or to make a donation supporting the trip, contact Charlotte Naples, science teacher and club advisor, at c_naples@saratogaschools.org.
Team America Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest student rocket contest. During a ceremony following the May 11 competition, $60,000 of scholarship money will be awarded to winners, along with a chance to participate in NASA’s Student Launch Initiative.