Blasting off to success: THS Rocketry
CONTRIBUTED - Tharptown High School's rocketry team comes in second in the nation in the American Rocketry Challenge.
Opinion, We Say, Z - TOP HOME
 By  Staff Reports Published 
9:15 am Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Blasting off to success: THS Rocketry

There’s no denying we’ve got a lot of passionate people in our community, many of them students, teachers and administrators. We see lots of successes, in academics, sports, the arts and other areas. Over the weekend, the Tharptown High School rocketry team blasted off to success once again, coming in second in the nation for the American Rocketry Challenge, and we’re thrilled to see them reach new heights.

They competed against the other 99 teams who made it to nationals, and it’s no small thing they were able to come out so close to the top. They’re no strangers to success, though, placing tenth in the nation last year, and ninth in the nation the previous year. Year after year, they are showing their enthusiasm and commitment to excellence through teamwork and dedicated practice, research and experimentation, and we applaud them for seeing the fruits of all their hard work.

Not only have they won the acclaim that goes along with such a prestigious accomplishment but also $15,000 for their team and $1,000 for the school. Team members have expressed their increasing enthusiasm, as well as their heightened desire to do everything they can to win first place next year. It’s not all fun and games, though.
The work they’re putting in has plenty of applications for life outside of high school.

The science skills they are learning, as well as the nuances of working successfully as a team, have direct parallels to work they may decide to pursue after graduation, whether in rocketry or other fields, though rocketry is certainly a field with ever-increasing potential for growth in the job market, especially heightened by our proximity to Huntsville and the work being done there.

To learn more about the Tharptown High School rocketry team’s recent successes, read our article in this week’s paper that goes more in-depth. It starts on the front page in the print edition, and it can be found here on our website. Congratulations, Tharptown Rocketry!  We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.

Also on Franklin County Times
LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY
Franklin County, Main, News, ...
Retirement brings an end to one chapter of school
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
April 22, 2026
THARPTOWN – Over the past 21 years, Tharptown schools have seen a plethora of changes as students and teachers alike come and go and the education lan...
Investigator details charges in child porn case
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
April 22, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Details from an interview between Abigail Roberts and an investigator regarding the child pornography and sodomy charges against the 22...
Generational investment has regional impact
Columnists, Opinion
April 22, 2026
On March 20 we marked the beginning of something truly significant, not just for one community, but for all of north Alabama. The announcement of a $2...
Broadway salute takes stage April 23-26
Columnists, News
HERE AND NOW
April 22, 2026
“The Roxy’s Salute to Broadway” will be held April 23-26 at the historic Roxy Theatre in downtown Russellville. The production features music from fiv...
RHS softball goes 3-1 in NW Alabama Bash
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
Brannon King For the FCT 
April 22, 2026
The Russellville High softball team went 4-2 during a week of games that included participation in the Northwest Alabama Bash at the Sportsplex in Flo...
Red Bay wins 3 of 4; Tharptown wins 2
Belgreen Bulldogs, High School Sports, News, ...
Bart Moss For the FCT 
April 22, 2026
RedBayandTharptown led the way last week in softball with Red Bay winning 3 of 4 games and Tharptown earning a couple of big wins, downing Phil Campbe...
Competitive eater completes challenge
News, Russellville
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
April 22, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A local restaurant is getting attention after a competitive eater finished a massive meal with just seconds to spare, turning a simple ...
$4.2M paving project nears end
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 22, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The final phase of a $4.2 million paving project funded through a Rebuild Alabama grant is nearing completion, marking the end of a lar...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *