Spaceport America Cup 2021

It is once again time for the Erik Gates Memorial Scholarship to be awarded.

Erik was an exemplary member of Tripoli. After launching some humongous rockets, he decided to serve the membership by running for, and being elected as, a directorship.

Erik died in a tragic work-related accident. The scholarship is offered by TRA and by the Gates family as a tribute to his service.

The eligibility requirements and application can be found at: http://www.tripoli.org/ErikGatesScholorship

At the January board meeting, the Board of Directors voted to increase the number of scholarships that could be awarded this year to 3 and set the award amount to $2500 each for this year!

Applicants: Be sure to fill out the application COMPLETELY and follow the requirements. Sadly, in the past we have had a few (very few, thank goodness!) applications that, for example, did not include an ORIGINAL or SCHOOL-CERTIFIED transcript. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

All teams,

So far about 50% of the teams have completed the  "2021 Spaceport America Cup Refund Preference" form stating your preference to either reserve your team's spot in the 2022 Spaceport America Cup or request a refund.

Please complete this form as soon as possible so that we have an accurate record of your preferences.  

Thank you everyone.  We'll have more to announce regarding the format and structure of the virtual event soon!

Hello Student Rocketry Team Leaders!

As promised, ESRA has contacted a significant number of Tripoli Prefectures who have agreed to allow student teams to possibly launch at their sites.  Attached is a listing of sites, contact info and schedule.  PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR TEAMS!   All of these sites can support 10k COTS launches.  30k and Liquids will need to coordinate with the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) site.  The New Mexico option is a possibility and is still being developed.

Each site strictly follows TRA Safety Code and may have additional rules and safety requirements which must be followed.

Next Steps:

• Contact the Prefecture a minimum of one month in advance to discuss your team's project.
• Check the prefecture's website and learn about their launch site, rules and contacts.
• Read the attached etiquette guide and prepare your team.

All it takes is a single incident to get not only your team banned but potentially all student teams... 

Attending a High Power Rocketry Launch (click to open)

Regional Launch Site Opportunities (click to open)

CONGRATULATIONS to Scott McLaughlin from Spaceport America! Scott can now remove the "Interim" part of his title as he has been selected to be the Executive Director of Spaceport America!!!

https://www.spaceportamerica.com/our-team/scott-mclaughlin/

The 2nd progress report form is now available on HeroX!  This 2nd progress report and the Final Report are the next major milestones as we head toward the virtual competition ;)  We have a lot in store as we're gearing up for the event. Get your update in to document the progress you have already made.  Stay tuned for more information about the competition...there's a lot happening behind the scenes.

Remember, the due date is as posted on the timeline.  Astute readers will know about the grace period in the IMS...have you read it?