For NASA, it’s Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Launch Pad O (LP-0) at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

But for the Aerospace Industry Association’s American Rocketry Challenge – a partnership with the National Association of Rocketry and 15 industry, government, and academia partners, including the United States Space Force – it’s the center of Great Meadow and its roughly 375 acres of wide open space about the same size as the main part of the National Mall.

For the 1,001 student rocket design teams from 46 states and Washington, D.C., winnowed down to the 100 teams that will compete in the National Finals at Great Meadow – and for $100,000 across the 10 best teams – it’s an experience that could change their lives.

Indeed, one of NASA’s astronauts was on a design team during the first Rocketry Challenge 23 years ago when he was a student at North Allegheny High School in Wexford, Pennsylvania.

“Woody Hoburg, an alum of the competition participated in the first-ever American Rocketry Challenge in 2003 and recently launched to the International Space Station as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission,” said Jessica Pedersen, senior director for American Rocketry Challenge and STEM Engagement at the Aerospace Industry Association.

“His journey from student competitor to astronaut highlights the program's role in encouraging participants to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)," Pedersen added. "By engaging young minds in hands-on, competitive experiences, it fosters a life-long passion for aerospace and engineering, ensuring a bright future for innovation and leadership in the field."

It’s not anywhere near as easy as it looks.

Design, build and fly a rocket to take two raw eggs to a flight altitude of 790 feet and recover it safely and unbroken within a duration window of between 41 and 44 seconds from liftoff to landing.

Recover their rockets by parachute with all pieces connected together.

Build the airframe with two different diameters, the upper section no larger than a T-70 tube and the lower section a larger diameter, at least 2.5 inches.

Limit the rocket to a single stage weighing no more than 650 grams at liftoff, using no more than 80 N-sec of rocket motor total impulse, and be at least 65 centimeters in length.

“The path to success in ARC is characterized by hard work that starts early in the school year,” Barber said. “It includes lots of practice flying with rigorous data-taking to establish relationships between their rocket’s characteristics and the weather and the resulting flight performance, and a real understanding of these relationships.

“As one young team member put it: ‘It’s not just a competition. It’s a journey of innovation and discovery.’”

Among the 100 finalists are Independence High School in Ashburn, Lightridge High School in Aldie, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria and Landon School in Bethesda. The winning team will represent the U.S. and compete at the International Rocketry Challenge at the Paris Air Show in June.

The American Rocketry Challenge is May 17 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. and is open to the public.