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Rocketry Challenge: A crack(free) mission 10-26-2020 | 4 minutes
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ArianeGroup is sponsoring the Rocketry Challenge, an amateur rocket competition for youngsters
The Rocketry Challenge is an amateur rocket competition for secondary schoolchildren. The challenge is to design and build a miniature rocket, and launch it to an altitude of 244 meters for a flight of 40 to 43 seconds, and then bring it safely back to Earth – without breaking its precious passenger, an egg.
The Rocketry Challenge competition began in the US in 2002. It went international in 2006 when Britain joined in the fun, followed in 2010 by France and Japan in 2016.
Usually, after the national heats, the international finale is held at the air shows in Farnborough (UK) or Paris (France). Sadly, the COVID-19 context means that that is not possible this year.
France decided to hold a national competition this year. The first regional final took place on October 17 at the Melun-Villaroche airfield near Paris with 17 teams in competition. We are looking forward to the second final, scheduled for November 5-k6 at the Mimizan airfield, for which 17 teams have been registered!
Around 60 teams of three to six youngsters in France have been preparing for the Rocketry Challenge competition, with around 30 of them qualifying for the regional finals.
The winning teams of these two regional finals will be ranked to determine who wins the French Rocketry Challenge 2020, and the winner will be invited to the Paris air show in 2021.
