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2022 Rocketry Challenge French final: a launch pad for future women space industry leaders? 05-31-2022 | 3 minutes
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ArianeGroup once again sponsored the Rocketry Challenge, a major amateur rocket-building competition for youngsters
© Biscarrosse City Hall
The French national finals for the 2022 Rocketry Challenge were held on May 20, 21, and 22 in Biscarrosse, in southwest France. As you can see in the photos, a great many young girls participated in this year’s competition: signs of a closing gender gap that is a great sign for the future of the aerospace industry.
©GIFAS
Organized by Planète Sciences and GIFAS, of which ArianeGroup is a member, the Rocketry Challenge is open to secondary school and high school students aged 11 to 18 who enter with their club or school. The goal is to build a rocket that is at least 65 cm high and to meet several mission requirements.
©Christophe Robin, GIFAS
Participants were required to launch their rocket carrying a payload of two raw eggs, which needed to return to Earth intact. The rocket (and the eggs) must climb to an altitude of 255 m in the qualifying flight (247 m in the final leg) and have a flight time between 41 and 44 seconds. All parts of the rocket that go up must come down as one connected composite; the landing involves the use of several parachutes.
©Christophe Robin, GIFAS
Every year, the competition is a fantastic way for participants to learn about the laws of physics and the principles of aerodynamics.
©Christophe Robin, GIFAS
After several trial runs in Saint-Laurent Médoc, in March, and in Melun-Villaroche, in April, the qualifying launches for the finals were held on Friday, May 20. Five finalists were announced on Saturday evening. After the final flights on Sunday morning, the teams presented their projects to a panel of judges.
©Christophe Robin, GIFAS
This year, team Dream Tsuki from the Jeanne D’Arc secondary school in Melun took first place. Clémence, Isolde, Romane and Zoé will go on to represent France in the international final at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom on July 21 and 22, 2022.
©Christophe Robin, GIFAS
ArianeGroup congratulates all the participants. A particular mention goes to: M’Ariane (we particularly like their team name) from Les Vallées secondary school, the Space Girls from Sud Médoc high school, and the EJAAMS teams from Jeanne D’Arc in Melun secondary school and from Sud Médoc high school.
Well done everybody, and good luck to Dream Tsuki this summer!
