Gabriel Chapter Recruits, Talks STEM at American Rocketry Challenge Final

The American Rocketry Challenge held its 24th National Finals on May 16, 2026, at Great Meadows in The Plains, Virginia. It is the largest student rocketry competition in the world, with more than 100,000 students competing since its inception. This year 1,107 teams from 44 states and Washington, D.C., took part.

The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) Gabriel Chapter staffed a table at the competition, representing the association at the finals—conducting community outreach, recruiting new members, and sharing information about AFA’s national STEM programs for students—including handing out AFA CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers stickers. Chapter President Mike Winters, former AFA Board member Joe Burke, and Virginia AFA President and National AFA Treasurer Mike Maxwell represented the chapter and association at the event.

“It was an exciting day watching the launch of many types of rocketry developed by youth from across the nation,” said Martha Ryder, Gabriel Chapter VP for Family Programs and Outreach, who also attended. “Teams from Nebraska, California, and Seattle were just a few we met at the booth. It was so great to see so many young people and families supporting the ARC, and many paid their own way or did fundraisers to get to Virginia. We had great conversations about CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers with many of the participants.”

For the first time in the meet’s history, the U.S. Space Force was among the event’s partners, aiming to draw students toward STEM careers and toward service in the Air Force and Space Force. A key goal of the Space Force is to identify and develop future STEM leaders to help maintain the United States’ technical edge in space and defense.

The rocketry challenge provides students a yearlong opportunity to gain hands-on engineering experience by designing, building, testing, and launching model rockets to meet rigorous requirements. As a result, the program fosters leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills among students as they deepen their interest and passion for aerospace and STEM.

During the finals, teams designed and built their own rockets for the chance to win $100,000 in prize money and a spot at the International Rocketry Challenge at the Paris Air Show in June.

Students who finished in the top 25 received invitations to continue their rocketry experience with NASA’s Student Launch Initiative, a nine-month challenge that also tasks students with designing and building a rocket, with the final launch at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.