Saturday’s (January 11) launch is postponed to January 25 due to projected snow/ice and hazardous travel conditions.
Ready, Set, ARC
This year is the 23rd and biggest year in the history of the American Rocketry Challenge (ARC/TARC). According to the director at the close of registration there were 1,006 enrolled teams, the largest number in the history of the program, well above the previous high of last year’s 922.
This is the list of the currently registered Alabama teams.
Thompson High School, Alabaster
Cullman High School, Cullman
Central, Florence
Rogers High School, Florence
Hackleburg High School, Hackleburg
Haleyville City Schools, Haleyville 2 teams
Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, Huntsville 4 teams
St. John Paul II, Huntsville 4 teams
Columbia High School, Huntsville
Sparkman High School, Huntsville
James Clemens High School, Madison
Bob Jones High School, Madison
Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, Mobile
Lawrence County High School, Moulton
Muscle Shoals High School, Muscle Shoals 3 teams
Phil Campbell High School, Phil Campbell
Tharptown High School, Russellville 2 teams
Russellville High School, Russellville 3 teams
Tuscumbia City School, Tuscumbia
Winfield City High School, Winfield
Tharptown High School is the reigning ARC National Champion and is back to defend its title. The state team number is down two from last year but still has 32 total teams from 20 schools, 6 with multiple teams. The Huntsville area team number grew by one.
What the NAR is doing with ARC is really making a difference to the future of the US aerospace industry, to the rocketry hobby, and to the future of the NAR. Support these students in every way you can.
Category: News |
Courting Courtland
The Propel Science Foundation (PSF) invited HARA back to the old Courtland airport 12/7 for a day of open sport flying. Having established the old airport as a launch field the director of PSF, Andrew Heath, set up the date as a possibly reoccurring event, which is exciting news for north Alabama rocketeers. HARA brought the range equipment and personnel to support all levels of rockets. The clear calm air allowed high flights with big and small motors. Parking on the runway was great, the large recovery space was great, rockets landing on the concrete -not so much. About 45 models were launched.
Category: Launches |
Launch scrub!
Due to forecast high winds above the 20 mph limit, this Saturday’s (December 14) launch is cancelled.
Category: Uncategorized |
HARA at NSL East
A national high power sport launch less than 7 hours drive from Huntsville was enough to attract some HARA members to attend and fly. The NAR had sanctioned an event in the west around Memorial Day and NSL East was held November 23-25 in a SE Georgia cotton field hosted by the Southern Area Rocketry (SoAR) section with 230 registered flyers and many spectators and supporters. The three days had 750 flights total– 368 flights Saturday including a night launch, 275 flights Sunday, and 107 flights Monday. SoAR often hosts a regional fall launch on this field but this year it went national.
The weather was clear every day and perfect for high flights. Stan put up a bird to 8K’ and got it back, Doug flew his Level 2 certification attempt and Vince burned two H’s, two I’s and a J motor. Many cool rockets of all power levels were on parade on the flight line and on the pads. A beautiful giant scale 12′ tall Saturn V had a majestic liftoff unfortunately without all it’s motors lit. It went up only a few hundred feet and laid over defeated by gravity. Most of the other flights were much better as modelers successfully showed off their craftsmanship and flying skills.
See this excellent news coverage at
https://fox5atlanta.com/video/1562547
Category: Launches |
Under the Weather
Despite the low ceiling HARA got out to the field for the November launch. Flyers were advised to only bring medium motors to stay under the clouds and they did. There were still plenty of sport flights, ARC practice rounds, student team projects and L1 certs to fill the morning. As rain drops began splattering at 12:30 everyone scrambled to pack up and go, but half a day on the range was better than nothing.
Category: Launches |
November 9th launch status – November 8 @ 1:30 PM
Tomorrow’s launch at the Jackson 5 field in Woodville is a GO!
However, the cloud ceiling is projected to be under 2000 feet, and our waiver forbids any rockets from flying into the clouds. So please choose motors that will put the rocket’s apogee under the cloud deck.
Just to repeat – Any rocket that can be reasonably expected to penetrate the cloud ceiling will not be allowed to fly.
Category: Uncategorized |
Blue Origin Family Launch Day
The clear October twelfth sky was filled with Blue Origin rockets built by the employee families and launched by HARA. It was an active afternoon with about 180 flights, triple the number from the first family launch event last year. The Wizards, Vipers and Alphas on A motors had their share of misfires with kids learning how to correctly install ignitors, but all the rockets got launched and recovered. Club members brought and flew a few of their own models but they were mostly busy loading up the racks. Everybody had fun and we hope to do it again next year.
Category: Outreach |
Courtland Ascends
The old Courtland airfield came alive again Saturday, Aug 31 when the Propel Science Foundation (PSF) hosted a HPR certification day for its students and mentors. HARA attended with range equipment and expertise to get 40 rockets launched. The flights were mostly H motors on L1 attempts and kept the inspection team busy checking motor retention, parachute packing and coupler tightness. Many of the cert flights were made by members of the 2024 ARC National Champion Tharptown team going to the next level of rocketry. Andrew Heath of PSF organized the event who was the mentor for the Tharptown ARC team and a member of the 2015 TARC Champion team.
Category: News |
Alabama ARC Team Second in World
National Champions from Alabama, the Tharptown High School’s rocketry team placed second in the International Rocketry Challenge at the Farnborough Air Show July 25, 2024. They competed against three teams total, from Japan, France and the United Kingdom which won first place. 
Tharptown High School math teacher Areanna Orozco said, “We are so thankful for the opportunity to represent the United States. I am so proud of every single student and all the hard work they have put in. This was the closest score between first and second, a 10 point difference.”
- First place (UK) 834 ft 43 second (14 pts)
- Second place (USA) 811 ft 39 sec (24 pts)
Orozco said 40 percent of the score at the international competition was based on the team making a presentation, something they practiced in front of an audience as part of their special day of Space and Rocket Center activities.
Franklin County’s Tharptown High School has sent a team to the national finals six times since the program started in 2018. THS has now placed in the top 10 four times, including a second-place finish in 2023.
Category: TARC |
