April 10, 2010 - Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) announced the nation's top 100 student rocketry teams that will compete in the final round of the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC).

The finalists include teams from 30 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands who qualified after months of preparation from a field of 669 squads and thousands of students. 

The eighth annual TARC, the world's largest rocket contest will take place Saturday, May 15, at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va. Qualifying teams of middle- and high-school students have the chance to earn $60,000 in scholarships and prizes. The TARC champion will also win the opportunity to compete internationally at an air show near London in July.  

"This year's TARC contest will be among the most competitive in its eight-year history because of the high number of teams that are participating," said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. 

"It's an exciting time for young people to be exposed to rocketry and all the aerospace industry has to offer. We're seeing a real surge in our industry with TARC alumni taking advantage of exciting career opportunities with many of our member companies." 

NASA also invites top teams to participate in its Student Launch Initiative advanced rocketry program. More than 50,000 youth have participated in the contest since its inception in 2003. 

Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association represents the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial systems, space systems, aircraft engines, materiel, and related components, equipment services, and information technology.