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
Text message signaled return to state
High School Sports, Main, Red Bay Tigers, ...
AHSAA NW REGIONAL FINAL RED BAY 64, COLD SPRINGS 52
David Glovach For the FCT 
February 25, 2026
HANCEVILLE — It was a simple text message, one sent by a mom of a former player. It was a six-year-old picture of Red Bay huddled together outside Leg...
An emotional loss for senior Fisher
Belgreen Bulldogs, High School Sports, Main, ...
COLD SPRINGS 45, BELGREEN 42
David Glovach For the FCT 
February 25, 2026
HANCEVILLE — Their hands found their faces quickly — something, anything, to absorb the tears. It only worked so well. “It’s hard,” Makenna Fisher sai...
Court asked to halt lot sales
Franklin County, Main, News, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 25, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County commissioners are seeking a court order to halt future sales of lots for the Lightning Ridge subdivision. Colbert Count...
Tellish named Rural Teacher of the Year
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 25, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Middle school teacher Carley Andrews Tellish has been named the 2026 Spezzini Rural Teacher of the Year, an honor that recognizes one K...
Students compete in annual beef cook-off
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 25, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE -- The annual Franklin County Cattlemen’s beef cookoff took place recently at Triple H Barn with students from Russellville, Red Bay, Bel...
Garden club revisits Lewis and Clark expedition
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
February 25, 2026
As the 250th celebration of the United States approaches, members of the Cultura Garden club have been revisiting American history through a series of...
Medicare Advantage must be funded
Columnists, Opinion
February 25, 2026
In a few short months, policymakers will decide the financial fate of the Medicare Advantage program and its millions of members. While the program is...
Guntersville ends season for RHS girls basketball
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
Brannon King For the FCT 
February 25, 2026
The memorable and successful 2025-26 girls basketball season came to an end for the Russellville Golden Tigers at the AHSAA Class 5A Northwest Regiona...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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