Countless hours spent designing, hand-building and testing rockets has paid off for 100 teams vying for the sixth annual Team American Rocketry Challenge (TARC) national title next month. Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy SG-1 is the only team to qualify for finals from the entire region encompassing Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, Utah and Nevada. Thirty five teams from the region originally registered for the competition.

The Aerospace Industries Association announced the finalists for the World's Largest Rocket Contest Friday. The teams will meet in Virginia on May 17 for a final fly-off and a chance to win more than $60,000 in scholarships and other prizes. About 7,000 students on 643 teams from 43 states and the District of Columbia took part in the qualifying rounds of competition. Most of the students are in high school, but the middle school students from Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy (CMCA) aren't overly impressed. "I think they'll underestimate our perseverance and preparation," said team captain Kenneth Conner.

AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey said the participating middle and high school students proved themselves to be both enthusiastic and creative, an encouraging sign as the aerospace industry faces a looming workforce shortage. "I'm pleased to see such a committed group of finalists," Blakey said. "I'm looking forward to seeing these teams compete next month, but I'm even more excited to see what their futures hold. We're seeing here firsthand the faces of the future innovators for our industry." Lockheed Martin Corporation will provide $5,000 scholarships to each of the top three teams again this year, and NASA invites some of the top teams to participate in their Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program. The competition is sponsored by NASA, the Defense Department, the American Association of Physics Teachers and 34 AIA member companies. CMCA student Sara Volz said, "Learning science using tools like Apogee's design and simulation software and is really fun and challenging."

The contest presents teams with a dual challenge. Teams must launch their rocket as close as possible to an altitude of 750 feet with a flight time of 45 seconds. The payload of two raw eggs must return to the ground unbroken. Altitude is gauged by an electronic altimeter.

The SG-1 team will be launching every week until they leave for finals. Launches will be held at Fox Meadow middle school, Challenger Middle School, and the mid-power COSROCS site in Peyton.

The team needs additional financial support for testing and travel expenses. Donations are 501(c)3 deductible. Please call CMCA at 471-1999 or use the contact information on the team's web page.

SG-1 would like to give special thanks to our current supporters: Thad Zylka, Norm Black, ITT, Cheyenne Mountain Charter Adademy/PTO, El Pomar Foundation/ Cheyenne Mountain High School, American Astronautical Society, Rocky Mountain Section, Brandango.us, Compleat Games and Hobbies,The Schuck Foundation, Zeal, and Colorado Aerospace Education Foundation. Thanks also to COSROCS for going well beyond normal mentoring and support, especially Warren Layfield, Ernie Puckett and George Shaiffer.