Video: Amory Rocketry Team Soars To Nationals

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AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – Three Mississippi high school teams are soaring to a national competition in Washington D.C. next week, and two of those teams are from one school.

The Amory High School Rocket Club has been so successful that they actually have two teams competing in this year’s Team America Rocket Challenge, and even though this is a busy time of the school year, they are hard at work sharpening their skills, and shooting for the stars.
It’s launch time for Amory High School’s Rocket Team.

Next week, the students will put their skills to the test on the national stage at the Team America Rocketry Challenge.

But now, it’s all about perfecting their work.

“We’re practicing now more than ever really. We’re putting as many rockets in the air and spending as much time up here as we can,” said team member Taylor Robbins.

The teams have to design, build and fly a rocket for the national competition.

There are several specific guidelines the students have to follow; like hitting a certain altitude, landing at a particular time and keeping this raw egg intact in the rocket.

“You have to get your target weight, target heights and all that stuff and it all gets very complicated. With calculations, it’s trial and error really. You don’t know what’s going to happen until you put something in the air,” added Robbins.

The Team America Rocketry Challenge is an aerospace program designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Members of the club say they have spent countless hours working on the rockets, but it’s also given them valuable experience outside the classroom.

“We’ve been here almost everyday after school. We spent numerous hours here during spring break, as much as we can, if we have a class off, we come in here and work on everything,” said team member Ashley Fullerton.

“This has offered us a great opportunity to actually work with things with our hands. It’s not just sitting in a classroom and looking at a board taking notes and taking a test and just moving on,” said team member Hannah Schmoock.

An opportunity that will hopefully launch these students into successful careers.

The teams are competing for more than $60,000 in prizes and scholarships, and the chance to advance to the International Rocketry Challenge.

The students are still fundraising for their trip.

If you would like to donate, contact Amory High School at 662-256-5753