This morning, students participating in the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) displayed their rockets for President Obama at the White House Science Fair for the third time since 2010.
The two teams attending this year’s Science Fair come from different states and backgrounds, but they share an interest in STEM and a passion for rockets. Wesley Carter and Darius Hooker from Memphis, Tennessee – better known in their community as the “Fly Boys”– attended Wooddale High School's four-year aviation program, where alongside traditional class work, they trained for private pilots' licenses and studied aerospace. Isabella Leighton, Dalia Castillo and Ruth Long of Team Eclipse from San Antonio, Texas, make up one of the numerous all-girls teams advancing to this year’s TARC finals and hold the title of 2012 national runners-up.
This year, teams will be challenged to overcome obstacles of drag and recovery as they design and build a wider rocket than in years past. The rocket must safely carry one raw egg to an altitude of 750 feet and land within a duration of 48-50 seconds. Students in the top 100 teams will be competing in this year’s National Finals on May 11 at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.
