Washington, D.C.
May 5, 2003

Ask any of the kids competing in the May 10th Team America Rocketry Challenge and they will tell you, "This is rocket science." About 750 high school students from across the nation will bring their hand-made model rockets to Great Meadows, in The Plains, VA, to compete in the world's largest rocket contest for an award of $59,000. The contest requirements are tough: Build a two-stage rocket that can fly to an altitude of 1,500 feet-no more, no less-release a payload of two raw eggs, and parachute the eggs back to the ground unbroken.

Nearly 900 high school teams competed in regional fly-offs this year, but only the 100 highest-scoring teams could take part in the finals. The top 100 teams come from 36 states across the nation, including the District of Columbia. A list of the teams is available at http://www.rocketcontest.org.

Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry, the contest was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight, and to encourage interest in aerospace design and engineering among high school students. AIA President and CEO John W. Douglass said that the aerospace industry foresees a period in the near future when economic growth returns, and the industry's aging workforce retires, leaving increased demand for aerospace products and a severe workforce deficit. But primarily, he said, the contest was designed to show students that science can be fun.

The contest will start at 8:30 a.m. on May 10 and at 5 p.m. the top scoring teams will be presented with their awards. Participants include: NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center Art Stephenson, NASA engineer and author Homer Hickam, whose book inspired the movie "October Sky," and U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Chairman and National Air and Space Museum Director Gen. J.R. (Jack) Dailey. Jay Apt, a NASA astronaut who flew four times as a mission specialist on the space shuttle, will be one of the two range safety officers for the competition.

For more information about AIA's Team America Rocketry Challenge and to apply for press credentials to attend the finals, visit http://www.rocketcontest.org

Contact:

Janet Neale
(703) 358-1076
neale@aia-aerospace.org

Alexis Allen
(703) 358-1075
(202) 321-4313 Cell