WESTLAKE VILLAGE, California USA — Eight students from Oaks Christian High School qualified to compete in the finals of the Team America Rocketry Challenge, the world's largest model rocket contest, in Virginia on Sat., May 17.

STUDENTS BLAST OFF- Oaks Christian High School team members Trace Briskin, Josh Dane, Silas Goma, Harrison Hanley, Jacob Jepsen, Bobby Nordlund, Robbie Thompson and Peter Weber, along with team supervisor Roger Hall, show off their model rocket that qualified to compete in the Team America Rocketry Challenge in Virginia on May 17.

More than 6,000 students in 643 teams attempted to meet the requirements of the contest, but only the top scoring 100 high school teams qualified to compete in the national contest.

Oaks Christian team members are Trace Biskin, Josh Dane, Silas Goma, Harrison Hanley, Jacob Jepsen, Bobby Nordlund, Robbie Thompson and Peter Weber.

"It took two tries to get the qualification score we needed," said Nordlund.

According to Dane, the most difficult problem to overcome was unforeseen weather conditions in realworld tests. "What we expected from our computer simulations was somewhat different from our actual results, and correctly modifying the rocket was a challenge," he said.

For the contest, students had to build and test a model rocket. The rocket must strive to fly for 45 seconds at a maximum height of 750 feet while carrying a payload of two raw eggs, which must be parachuted back to the ground without breaking.

The top 10 teams will share a prize pool of $60,000 in cash, and the winning team will get a free VIP trip to the Farnborough Air Show near London in July.

"This contest is an excellent opportunity for students to learn hands-on lessons in aerodynamics as part of a formal physics class," said team supervisor and Oaks Christian High School science department chair Roger Hall. "Participants apply concepts of physics and chemistry . . . as they plan, build and test their rocket.

"The project itself is an excellent application of engineering techniques, project planning and, most importantly, teamwork . . . The project had the team building rockets in a manner similar to those built by professionals and the results are similar. If the planning is sound, the engineering is done properly, care is taken in the construction and the team works together to meet the goal, the project will most likely be a success," he said.

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