Vesta Explorer Post 1010
Lockheed Martin Exploring Program

Team America
Rocketry Challenge 2015
 		 Orion Space Craft
 
Our Teams
Team 15-265
Joe Camobreco
Harish Kumar
Matthew McCallum
Vivek Uppoor
Team 15-266
Tony Guardado
Michael Liu
Mughil Muthupari
Gabe Schroeder
Team 15-267
Rohan Chari
Shreya Thotapally
Avanish Yendluri
Sam Zabronsky
Team 15-406
Daniel Johnson
Daniel Knauss
Julia Roh
Aparna Natarajan
Support
Bob Ekman
Samantha Steckel

 

  

  

 

  

Rocket
Orion Launch by
Space Launch System


Explorer Post 1010 registered four teams in the 2015 Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC). The main challenge web site is http://www.rocketcontest.org/. This is a year-round activity. We started with experiments focused on the challenge in the summer and the fall. We recruited new members in the fall and started to design and build our competition rockets. During the winter and into the spring we tested and launched our rockets at least once a month. We needed to conduct three qualification flights for each team by March 30, 2015.

Teams

This year we started with seven members from last year. We recruited new members in October and now have four members on each of four teams. To be on a team you must be a dues paying member of Post 1010 and have your parents sign the TARC permission form. Members may switch teams until the first qualification flight. Members must participate in designing, building, and launching the rockets to remain on a team.

Launches

We met during normal Exploring Program meetings on Wednesdays for work sessions and on Saturdays and Sundays for launches. Our first full work session was in October. Each team built several rockets, including test rockets and backups for their best models. We documented our activities and decisions on these web pages.

We have three test launch sites:

MD - Old National Pike Park, east of New Market, in Frederick county Maryland (directions, picture). Their launch calendar and other information is at http://www.narhams.org/.

MDw - When we need it, we will launch rockets at the Heritage Farm Park in Walkersville, Maryland (map, picture).

VA - Great Meadow (directions, map, picture), near The Plains, Virginia, off I66, west of Manassas. Their calendar is at http://www.novaar.org. This is the site of the National Fly-off.

When we launch in strong wind, our biggest concern is the loss of our rocket in the trees. We have plotted out launch limit maps for Maryland and Virginia launch sites.
Launches

We always need parents to drive to the launch sites. Participants should bring money for lunch or bring food when we are out all day. Wear appropriate clothing. Schedules can change at the last minute due to weather, so keep watching this web site, Facebook, and call if unsure.

Resources

Wind speed is a big problem for our rockets, so we check http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi (Manassas, Frederick) before we launch. The Weather Channel is another source for weather at the Virginia Site and Maryland Site.

The Internet and email are a very important resource for our teams. Each member should sign up for the TARC Yahoo Group and review the recent emails and files.

We have a Post 1010 Rocketry Project Facebook Group where we post information on launches and related activities. We also have a Post 1010 Facebook Group. Post 1010 members and parents in the rocketry project should join both.

2015 TARC Information

Our Team Information

Past Years
Copyright 2015 Explorer Post 1010
Updated: May 1, 2015