The Challenge is the world's largest model rocket contest and provides student teams with a realistic experience in designing a flying aerospace vehicle that meets a specified set of mission and performance requirements.

This year's Challenge involves building and flying a model rocket carrying one or two raw eggs that achieves a precise flight duration (TBD) and returns the egg(s) to the ground safely. Bonuses are awarded if the rocket has two stages, and carries two eggs rather than one. A grand prize pool of over $60,000 in cash and savings bonds will be shared by the top 10 teams.

Teams will consist of three to 15 students who are in seventh through 12th grades in any U.S. school or home-school program, supervised by one or more adults who are certified as teachers (including home-school) or who are officially appointed group leaders in U.S. chapters of national nonprofit youth organizations, including but not limited to the Boy Scouts of America, JROTC, 4-H, Civil Air Patrol, Skills USA, and Young Astronauts. There is no limit on the number of teams per school or organization. All teams must be affiliated with and must draw all their members from either a single school or local home-school organization, or a single chapter of a national youth organization.

The rules and application for the 2005 competition will be available on September 7, 2004. Only the first 1,250 teams that submit a completed application package postmarked on or before November 30, 2004, will be allowed to compete in this year's event.

For more information, and to sign up to be notified about when the rules and application will be posted, please visit www.rocketcontest.org.

###