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Explorer Post 1010 Engineering Exploring Program The American Rocketry Challenge 2020/21 |
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Explorer Post 1010 Engineering Exploring Program The American Rocketry Challenge 2020/21 |
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Explorer Post 1010 registered three teams in the 2020/21 The American Rocketry Challenge (TARC). The main web site is https://rocketcontest.org/. The challenge is described in the 2021 Rules. This is a year-round activity. We started with experiments focused on the challenge in 2019. We recruited new members in 2020 and started to design and build our competition rockets. During the winter 2020 we started to test our rockets. Then the pandemic hit and we suspended the program until September 2020. We used the same challenge for 2021. We had some qualification flights in the winter 2020. We can keep them or do all new ones. We must complete three qualification flights for each team by May 17, 2021. To be invited to the national fly-off in June 2021, TARC adds the scores of the two best qualification launches. The cutoff for 2019 was 34.48. The finals are for the top 100 teams from registered teams across the US. Both teams were invited to the National Finals. The cut-off score to qualify as a National Finalist was 37.06. Both teams were well under that score. Finals were very different from past years. Our teams traveled to the Great Meadow field in The Plains, VA, on June 13 (Special Launch Notes). They both completed two flights. The first one to 775 feet and descent time between 39 and 42 seconds. The second one to 825 feet and descent time between 41 and 44 seconds.  Team 6696 had two flights that were almost perfect, getting a score of 3 and 5 for a combined score of 8.
Team 6698 had good altitude scores, but descended too fast. At an on-line ceremony on June 28,
team 6696 was awarded 2nd place nationally. We lost to
a team in Oregon that scored 7.7. Here are the
Awards and
Results.
In the fall 2019 we started with seven members from the previous year. We recruited five new members and created three teams. In the fall of 2020, we recruited new members to replace our seniors. 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 in 2021. Members must participate in designing, building, and launching to remain on a team. We meet during normal Exploring Program general meetings for work sessions and on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for launches. Each team builds several rockets, including test rockets and backups for their best models. We document our activities and results on these web pages. This program had several special activities. In the summer of 2020 teams were challenged to design a trip to the moon and back in the Kerbal Space program. Team 6696 submitted a design that was successful. And again in the summer of 2021 there was another Kerbal Challenge and we submitted a solution. Team 6696 tried some innovative ideas to meet the altitude requirement of 800 feet. At the end of the program, they submitted a presentation in the TARC Presentation competition.
Initial Qualification Flight Reports 2020 Team 20-6696 - Qualification 1, Qualification 2 Team 20-6697 - Qualification 1 (this team dropped for 2021) Team 20-6698 - none in 2020 Final Qualification Flight Reports 2021 Team 20-6696 - Qualification 1, Qualification 2, Qualification 3 (score best 2 = 23.64) Team 20-6698 - Qualification 1, Qualification 2, Qualification 3 (score best 2 = 22.36)
Wind speed is a big problem for our rockets, so before we launch we check http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi (Manassas, Frederick). The Weather Channel is another source for weather at the Virginia Site and Maryland Site. 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. 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, your email, and call if unsure.
Heritage Farm Park in Walkersville, Maryland (map, picture) 9236 Devilbiss Bridge Rd, Walkersville, MD 21793. Park information at https://walkersvillemd.gov/parks-recreation/heritage-farm-park/. (39.49n,-77.34w,307a) Great Meadow near The Plains, Virginia (directions, map, picture). NOVAAR runs the launch. Their calendar is at http://www.novaar.org. This is the site of the National Fly-off. (38.83n,-77.81w,587a) Old National Pike Park east of New Market, in Frederick county Maryland (directions, picture). NARHAMS runs the launch. Their launch calendar is at http://www.narhams.org/. Charles Town West Virginia, Oakland Church Field, west of Harpers Ferry (picture), run by the Blue Ridge Rocketeers.
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Explorer Post 1010 Updated: August 18, 2021 |
