The forecast for Saturday, February 23, 2008 called for a high temperature of 52 degrees, but until 10 a.m., it seemed like we might get 52 inches of snow at Challenger Middle School during the Cheyenne Mountain TARC attempted certification flight at the regular COSROCS monthly launch. After all, it is Colorado Springs.

"Why do we have to get up this early on a Saturday?" one TARC team member asked, snow collecting on his quivering upper lip.

Earlier in the week the Stargate team (with students from CMCA and CMHS) achieved a flight within 1.2% of the precision altitude target for the Largest Rocket Contest in the World. Their results were consistent enough to warrant an announcement to the community that an official certification attempt was imminent. The team was well-prepared to fly but decided the wind speed was too high. The certification attempt was delayed until noon and then scrubbed, because wind speed was at twelve m.p.h. and increasing. "It's just too windy," said Jacob Pfund, "we can't risk losing our expensive equipment in the houses and roads east of the athletic fields." The TARC parents, who are extremely supportive, affirmed the team's choice.

The real fireworks came from two other TARC teams. Their flights were excellent, although recovery time was excruciatingly long because they all landed in the housing subdivision. One flight had to be recovered from a rooftop (with the owner's permission). She was a little jumpy, though. The altimeter was beeping, and when you've got a rocket on your house that's beeping, you start wondering if maybe you should call Homeland Security.

The SG-1 team from Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy flew twice. On the first flight they tried a new reloadable motor with more power than they've ever used before and the electronic altimeter indicated an altitude at 92.5% of the goal. After reducing weight, they flew a second test, and after a heart-stoppingly long parachute deployment delay, achieved a phenomenal result of only two tenths of a percent from their goal. There was screaming and high-fives, although the members of the other two TARC teams were not quite so amused. "Holy cow, this is only their fifth launch and they've already nailed it," complained one of the Stargate team members, though with a twinkle in his eye, "and we've been flying since October." The SG-1 team should be able to refine their deployment delay and qualify for finals.

The Atlantis team from Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy spent most of the day finishing their first TARC design and flew one test flight (their first of the year) to prove the stability of their design. Because of their engineering acumen, the design flew perfectly straight up while all other rockets on this day flew into the wind. "We got the relationship between the center of pressure and the center of gravity just right," said Phelan Carrasco. "That was a great flight. No wobble. No spin. I can't wait to get an altimeter in this baby."

While somewhat disappointed that there were no official qualification flight attempts, the teams were animated by the day's results. Just like flying the big, bad boys at the Cape, weather ruled the day.

We would like to thank Apogee and Giant Leap Rocketry for providing great rocketry parts at a discount for TARC teams. These companies have given us exemplary service and quality product. Both are genuinely excited about providing technical support, too.

As always, we would like to thank our visionary, corporate, small business and educational organization support, including Boeing Employees Community Fund,Colorado Aerospace Education Foundation, Brandango.us, Harris Used Parts, Dry Cleaning Equipment, Zeal Media, Wells Fargo, and others. Thank you so much for supporting science, technology, engineering and math education locally. Your support benefits not just our science students, but our entire country.