TARC - Team America Rocketry Challenge

Your source for TARC - Team America Rocketry Challenge contest information and supplies

Contest Background

The Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is the world's largest rocket contest, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). It was created in the fall of 2002 as a one-time celebration of the Centennial of Flight, but the enthusiasm about the event was so great that AIA and NAR were asked to hold the contest annually.

Approximately 7,000 students from across the nation compete in TARC each year. Teams design, build and fly a model rocket that reaches a specific altitude and duration determined by a set of rules developed each year. The contest is designed to encourage students to study math and science and pursue careers in aerospace.

The top 100 teams, based on local qualification flights, are invited to Washington, DC in May for the national finals. Prizes include $60,000 in cash and scholarships split between the top 10 finishers. NASA invites top teams to participate in their Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program. AIA member companies, such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have sponsored additional prizes such as scholarship money and a trip to an international air show.

TARC is becoming bigger and better every year with the attendees and prizes growing annually. Register now to be a part of the excitement!

Supplies

Sunward has a large number of supplies for use in building your TARC rocket. Sorry, but we don't carry engines or streamers at this time. Streamers are coming along with other TARC specific supplies.

You can use the drop down menu above for links to all kits and supplies or the site map. There is also a master list of supplies at Model Rocket Parts

Please note a 15" hexagonal parachute (6 sided) does NOT conform to the rules.

Official Rules and Resources:

Summary

Official TARC 2011 rules

Brief Summary

The rules for TARC 2011 offer a new challenge to the student teams. While the flight goal remains flying an egg to a precise altitude and duration, the teams in TARC 2011 will be required to use a specific size (diameter) parachute to return the egg and altimeter. This will place a new constraint on the design that will force some new thinking about how to combine rocket weight and parachute characteristics (shroud lines, vent hole, type of material) to hit the duration goal.
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TARC 2010 registration opens on September 8, 2010

Streamer Calculations pdf file

Streamer Recovery Tutorial pdf file

Join the Yahoo TARC Group

Changes from the 2010 to 2011 Rules

1. Recovery of the egg and altimeter must be by means of a specified-size (15-inch) parachute rather than a streamer. The rules specify how this parachute measurement is to be made.

2. Weight limit remains at 1.0 kg but the total impulse limit of 80 N-sec is removed.

3. Altitude goal is reduced from 825 feet to 750 feet

4. Duration goal remains a range of 40-45 seconds rather than a point target but the requirement to achieve at least 35 seconds in order to qualify is eliminated and the multiplying factor for calculating duration score vs error outside the duration goal range of 40-45 seconds is the same for going above 45 seconds as it is for going below 40.

5. We are returning to using the Perfectflite ALT15K altimeter, its downloadable data capability and superior reliability in the face of rough handling outweight its greater cost (which will be reduced to about $50 this year compared to $60 in 2008 and prior).  We are not "grandfathering" the Adept altimeters, they are simply not reliable enough to continue using.
 
6.  At the Finals we will take 24 teams into the second-round flyoff (vs 20) and award the top 20 places (vs top 10) on the basis of adding results from two flights.