PARIS, June 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Seven
students from the Russellville
City Schools of Russellville,
Ala., won first place in the International Rocketry
Challenge at the 2015 Paris Air Show on June
19. The U.S. team, sponsored by Raytheon (NYSE: RTN), beat
teams from the United Kingdom, who
came in second place, and France,
who took home third.
"It was a great experience representing the United States and winning the
international rocketry competition," said Andrew Heath, captain of the RCS Engineers. "It
has been an honor to be part of the team and this year's
program."
Competing teams designed, built and launched rockets with a goal
of reaching an altitude of exactly 800 feet within a 46- to
48-second flight window. This year's contest required rockets to
separate into at least two sections during flight. The main
section, containing a payload of one raw hen's egg and an
altimeter, had to return to the ground safely with a single
parachute as its sole recovery device. Scores were determined by
how close the rockets approached the required height and time;
cracked eggs would disqualify the flight.
The U.S. team consists of Cristian
Ruiz, 16; Niles Butts, 17; Andrew
Heath, 17; Katie Burns, 13;
Evan Swinney, 18; Cady Studdard, 14;
and Chelsea Suddith, 15. The team
achieved a winning flight score of 49.53 and logged an altitude of
824 feet.
The students also gave a presentation on their rocket design to
a panel of international judges at Raytheon's air show
headquarters. The judges' score counted for 40 percent of their
total competition score. The U.S. took first place in this portion
of the challenge as well.
"This was a wonderful competition, and after seeing our U.S.
representatives and the teams from France and the U.K., I am truly impressed by
the young talent that is here today," said AIA President and CEO
Dave Melcher. "As they leave here
with vivid memories of how exciting it was to compete at this
level, I urge our outstanding rocket teams to use this experience
as a springboard for their futures."
The International Rocketry Challenge is the culmination of three
separate competitions held annually around the globe: the Team
America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) sponsored by the Aerospace
Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of
Rocketry (NAR); the United Kingdom Aerospace Youth Rocketry
Challenge (UKAYRoC) sponsored by ADS, the UK Aerospace, Defense,
Security and Space association; and the French Rocketry Challenge
sponsored by Groupement des Industries Francaises Aeronautiques et
Spatiales (GIFAS), the French aerospace industries association.
Each contest brings together teams of middle and high school
students to design, build and launch model rockets with the goal of
inspiring young minds to become engaged in science, technology,
engineering and math.
"Rocketry requires a strong command of math, a solid foundation
of physics and a tremendous amount of patience and determination,"
said Raytheon Chairman and CEO Thomas A.
Kennedy. "The achievement of these competitors deserves a
global stage, and we hope to show other students around the world
that hard work and a love for science can lead them to great
things."
This is the tenth year that Raytheon has supported the U.S.
team's trip to the international air show. The program is part of
the company's broad-based MathMovesU® initiative to encourage
students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM).
About the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)
Founded in 1919 shortly after the birth of flight, the Aerospace
Industries Association is the most authoritative and influential
trade association representing the nation's leading manufacturers
and suppliers of civil, military and business aircraft,
helicopters, unmanned aircraft systems, space systems, aircraft
engines, homeland and cybersecurity systems, materiel and related
components, equipment services and information technology.
About MathMovesU
Raytheon's MathMovesU® program is an
initiative committed to increasing middle and elementary school
students' interest in math and science education by engaging them
in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of
MathMovesU include the traveling interactive experience
MathAlive!®; Raytheon's Sum of all Thrills™ experience at
INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, which showcases math in action as students
design and experience their own thrill ride using math
fundamentals; the In the Numbers game, a partnership with the New
England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place presented
by Raytheon; the company's ongoing sponsorship of the MATHCOUNTS®
National Competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant
program. Follow MathMovesU and other Raytheon community outreach
programs on Facebook and on Twitter @MathMovesU.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of
$23 billion and 61,000 employees
worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in
defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a
history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides
state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other
capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command,
control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber
security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is
headquartered in Waltham, Mass.
For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us
on Twitter @Raytheon.
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1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209 (703)
358-1000
www.aia-aerospace.org
Founded in 1919 shortly after the birth of flight, the
Aerospace Industries Association is the most authoritative and
influential trade association representing the nation's leading
manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military and business
aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aircraft systems, space systems,
aircraft engines, homeland and cybersecurity systems, materiel and
related components, equipment services and information
technology.
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SOURCE Aerospace Industries Association