2025 Engineering Challenge FAQ

A: No. You must use one of the three options listed in the materials section for the body of your rocket.

A: Yes. You can attach things (fins, nose cones, hooks, etc.) to the rocket body. You may make cuts or slots on the rocket body to help attach things, but you cannot make complete cut-outs or remove any material.

A: As long as it uses only the allowed materials, your rocket-catching device can be as big (or as small) as you want. There is no maximum size limit for the rocket itself, but since you cannot remove material from the standard rocket body, you cannot make it smaller.

A: No. Use of a cardboard base is optional.

A: You can use corrugated cardboard or thinner cardboard (e.g., from a cereal box).

A: No. The rocket cannot touch the floor or any other surface/object before landing in your device.

A: This is OK as long as your rocket does not touch the ground. For example, if your rocket-catching device sags under the impact of the rocket, and the rocket briefly goes below 10 cm, but then your device springs back to its original shape, and the rocket goes back above the 10cm threshold, that is OK.

A: Yes, but pay attention to the rounding requirements. For example, if you cut a sheet of paper, it still counts as a whole sheet even if you only use part of it. If you use less than half a sheet, you still round up to the nearest whole sheet.

A: No. Tape is a "free" material. You can use up to one roll of tape.

A: No. Tape should be single-sided, clear office tape, masking tape, or painter's tape.

A: No.

A: You do not need to worry about units when calculating your score—just plug in the numbers for distance in centimeters and materials points. If you want to add units to the equation, then the first value could be multiplied by "one point per centimeter" which would convert units of centimeters to points.

A: No. Only materials used to build the device and modify the rocket used in your official test count toward your final score.

A: Yes! You can test your device as many times as you want and submit your highest score. Keep in mind the rule that requires two consecutive successful landings.

A: No. Glue of any type is not allowed.

A: No. Only tools listed in the materials section are allowed.

A: As long as all parts of the rocket are still at least 10 cm above the ground, that is OK. If, for example, the body of your rocket is higher than 10 cm but a fin breaks off and hits the ground, the landing does not count, and you will need to re-test. If the fin remains more than 10 cm above the ground, that is OK, but you will need to re-attach it to your rocket for your second consecutive test.

A: See Figures 4, 5, and 6. "Vertical" is defined as the central axis of the rocket's body being at an angle at least 45 degrees from a horizontal plane parallel to the ground.

A: Repairs in between trials are allowed. Repairs to your device that only use tape do not require recalculating your materials cost since tape is "free." Repairs that use other materials, such as adding another piece of paper, require recalculating your materials cost and count as a modification to your design, so you must start over with your new design in order to get two successful drops in a row.

A: Since the standard rocket body does not have a defined "top" and "bottom," the rocket can be in any orientation before it is dropped.

A: No. A sheet of paper used for the main rocket body does not count toward your materials cost. Paper used for any additions or attachments to the rocket body (nose cone, fins, landing gear, etc.) does count toward your materials cost.