The Potomac Falls Engineering Club is gearing up for the Team America Rocketry Challenge. Team America Rocketry Challenge, or TARC for short, is the world’s largest rocket contest.

The competition is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, or AIA, which has over 6,000 student competitors across 48 states.

 The purpose of the competition is to 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 we are sending a model rocket 850 feet in the air that must have a launch time of 48 to 50 seconds,” said senior leader Wylie Wang.

 A twist of the competition includes the need for the rocket to carry two eggs throughout its trip without breaking. Each rocket is unique, but some parts of the rocket are provided by TARC. For example, the parachute, a necessary cog in the safe journey of the eggs, is provided to the contestants.

 “You can make your own parachute if you really wanted too, but it’s easier for us to just use the one that was provided,” said junior Braulio Diaz.

 The group usually gets together once a week for anywhere from a half an hour to an hour. They typically meet in the library or sometimes in a science classroom.

 “Meetings typically consist of reviewing where we are in the process, going through out ideas, and  setting goals for our projects. The work that really has to be done is done outside of school. Our meeting time during schools is generally an overview of what we want to accomplish outside of school,” said Wang.

 Wang, Diaz, and junior Courtney Parry have been working overtime to make sure their rocket will be ready. If the team advances, they will have the opportunity to attend nationals in Washington, D.C. on May 10.

 “The qualifications for the competition are due on April 1, so we’ll be launching this Sunday [March 30] to see if we qualify for nationals,” said Diaz.

Prizes include $60,000 in scholarships and prizes, which are split between the top 10 finishers. Additionally, companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon sponsor cash prizes and scholarship awards.

  To the team, the competition has been more about the journey than the destination.

  “My moral isn’t hinging on the result of the competition. That’s not to say I wouldn’t appreciate or don’t want to win, I do, but I’ve just enjoyed the process of getting to the point we are at now,” concludes Wang.