EL PASO, TX (KTSM) – Harmony Science Academy has qualified to compete in the 20th Annual American Rocketry Challenge (TARC) national finals.

The Harmony Science Academy team is one of 101 teams from across the country, and the only team from El Paso, competing to claim the title of national champion.

The Harmony Science Academy team’s final fly-off will take place this Saturday, May 14 at Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia.

Over 4,000 students on 724 teams from across the country participated in this year’s competition and two teams from Harmony Science Academy placed in the top 101.

To qualify, teams were required to build and launch a rocket that safely carried a payload of two raw eggs with a target flight duration of 41-44 seconds and altitude of 835 feet.

Harmony Science Academy will compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes, along with the title of National Champion which includes an all-expense paid trip to London for the International Finals. The top-25 finishers at the National Finals will automatically earn spots in NASA Student Launch.

The hands-on experience students gain as part of the American Rocketry Challenge creates limitless pathways in STEM and the aerospace industry, opening the door for them to be a part of the world’s most exciting innovations. These students will be designing the rockets that will take us to Mars and beyond, and I can’t wait to see which of these incredible rocketeers will be crowned National Champion in May.

Eric Fanning, President & CEO, Aerospace Industries Association

Sponsored by AIA, the National Association of Rocketry, and more than 20 industry partners, the American Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest student rocketry competition and the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The competition has inspired more than 85,000 middle and high school students to explore education and careers in STEM fields.  

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