SGAHS Student Competes for Spot on U.S. National Spacemodeling Team

Spring Grove Area High School student Gautham Narayan recently competed at the U.S. National Spacemodeling Team Selection Flyoffs at the International Aeromodelling Center in Muncie, Indiana, becoming the first member of the Spring Grove Rocketry Team to compete for a spot on the U.S. National Spacemodeling Team.

The annual team selection event brings together some of the nation's top rocketry competitors to determine who will represent the United States at the 2027 World Space Modeling Championships in Poland.

Gautham competed in two technically demanding events:

• S1 Altitude challenges competitors to design, build, and launch an ultra-lightweight, two-stage rocket capable of reaching the greatest possible altitude while meeting strict competition specifications.
   
• S5 Scale Altitude requires competitors to construct a highly detailed scale model of a real rocket and then launch it, with scoring based on both the model's craftsmanship and its flight performance.

Qualifying for the national team selection flyoffs is a significant accomplishment, requiring extensive knowledge of aerospace engineering principles, precision craftsmanship, and countless hours of design, testing, and refinement.

Results from the team selection event are expected approximately one week after the competition concludes. At that time, competitors will learn whether they have earned one of the coveted spots on the U.S. National Spacemodeling Team.

Regardless of the final team selections, Gautham's achievement marks an exciting milestone for the Spring Grove Rocketry Team. Spring Grove Area School District congratulates Gautham on his incredible accomplishment and wishes him the very best as he awaits the national team selection results.