Farnborough, UK - Washington Youth Aerospace from Bellevue, Washington placed first today in the International Rocketry Challenge, representing the United States at Farnborough International Airshow. With a target altitude of 750 feet, the team's rocket launched 765 feet in the air for 38.16 seconds.

Pictured: ADS Group CEO Kevin Craven, U.S. team members Daniel Tadesse, Bao-Ky Tran, Mikhail Antipin, Antoine Vigneron, Nikhil Sirivara, Anay Mediwala, National Association of Rocketry President John Hochheimer, and AIA Senior Vice President of External Affairs Alison Lynn

Washington Youth Aerospace won the opportunity to represent the United States by placing among the top teams at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) American Rocketry Challenge National Finals in May. In the United States, a record-breaking 1,107 middle and high school teams participated in the design, build, and launch competition in 2026.

The Washington Youth Aerospace team is based out of Bellevue's Interlake High School and consists of students Daniel Tadesse, Bao-Ky Tran, Mikhail Antipin, Antoine Vigneron, Nikhil Sirivara, and Anay Mediwala. The competition was an opportunity for all teams to discuss their unique rocket designs and the different approaches used for launch. This engagement also served as a cultural exchange, allowing the teams to share ideas and learn about each other's traditions and programs.

"Congratulations to Washington Youth Aerospace on their incredible victory and their inspiring journey to today's competition - from national runner-up to world champion" said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. "As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, their talent, creativity, and teamwork carry forward our nation's legacy of innovation and point to what's next. Today's competition made one thing clear: the future of aerospace across the globe is very bright."

The American Rocketry Challenge is AIA's flagship STEM initiative and is supported by industry partners as a way of strengthening the workforce pipeline of engineers and scientists who are the future of the aerospace industry.

"Congratulations to all the teams involved in this year's International Rocketry Challenge, and special recognition to Washington Youth Aerospace from Bellevue, Washington, representing the United States," said RTX Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Pam Erickson. "These students reflect the curiosity, teamwork and innovative thinking that will define the future of aerospace. Our support for this competition underscores our commitment to helping inspire the engineers and visionaries who will shape tomorrow's advances."

Formalized in 2015, the International Rocketry Challenge is the final round of competition following four other national rocketry challenges held annually around the globe, including France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Ukraine. Representing the United States is the award-winning American Rocketry Challenge, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR).

About the American Rocketry Challenge

Since 2002, the American Rocketry Challenge, the world's largest student rocket competition, has engaged more than 100,000 middle and high school students in custom rocketry. The annual challenge invites students to design, build, and fly rockets to exacting requirements and gain hands-on experience solving engineering problems. Sponsored by Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry, and more than 15 industry, government, and academia partners, the American Rocketry Challenge is the aerospace and defense industry's flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in STEM. The program has launched countless careers in aerospace and defense, and its alumni are helping to engineer the vehicles that will take us back to the moon, and, one day, on to Mars. https://www.rocketrychallenge.org

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