Two teams from Creekview High School in Canton, teams 1 and 3, have made the finals of the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) for 2014. They will be headed to The Plains, Virginia for the flyoff on May 10.

TARC is a co-production of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), and has been running since Fall 2002.

Approximately 7,000 students from across the nation compete in TARC each year. Teams design, build and fly a model rocket that reaches a specific altitude and duration determined by a set of rules developed each year. This year the rules challenge each team to design and build a model rocket that can travel to a height of 825 feet and back within 48 to 50 seconds. Each rocket must also deploy two identical parachutes carrying precious cargo — two raw eggs that must return safely to the ground undamaged. Scores are determined by how close they come to the required height and time; damaged eggs disqualify the flight. TARC poses a different challenge each year, and 2014’s dual-parachute requirement combined with the tight timing window and other structural criteria make this contest the most difficult in the competition’s 12-year history.  The contest is designed to encourage students to study math and science and pursue careers in aerospace.

The top 100 teams, based on local qualification flights, are invited to Washington, DC in May for the national finals. Prizes include $60,000 in cash and scholarships split between the top 10 finishers. NASA invites top teams to participate in their Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program. AIA member companies, such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have sponsored additional prizes such as scholarship money and a trip to an international air show.