One World Anchor Students Advance to National Rocketry Challenge Finals

4/16/2025

By Jacob Chen

This year, seven students from One World Anchor formed two teams to participate in the National Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket competition. https://rocketrychallenge.org/

A record-breaking number of high school and middle school teams entered this year’s event, with over 1,000 teams submitting their launch data. In this full-cycle engineering challenge, students are responsible for designing, building, and launching their rockets — truly hands-on rocket science in action.

To qualify for the National Finals, teams were tasked with creating model rockets capable of:

• Carrying two raw eggs to an altitude of 790 feet

• Remaining airborne for 41–44 seconds

• Returning safely to the ground

For the National Finals, the challenge requirements are modified to test the teams’ innovation and engineering skills even further. Finalists will compete for $100,000 in prizes and the prestigious title of National Champion. The winning team will go on to represent the United States at the International Rocketry Challenge during the Paris Air Show this June.

The One World Anchor teams leveraged advanced tools including OnShape for 3D design and OpenRocket for computational simulations. They also conducted four supervised test launches at the National Rocketry Association’s authorized launch site in San Diego to refine their designs.

Today, the top 100 teams were announced — and both One World Anchor teams qualified for the National Finals! The exciting final fly-off will be held in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 2025.

Being part of this prestigious national event is an unforgettable experience and a testament to what students can achieve with curiosity and determination.

For more information about the National Rocketry Challenge, visit: https://rocketrychallenge.org/

Contact:Jacob Chen - Director of Orange County One World Anchor jacobjchen@outlook.com