SpaceCAD September 2, 2005

SpaceCAD Named Official Flight Simulation Software for the World's Largest Rocket Contest

Stuttgart, Germany and Washington D.C. - Team America Rocketry Challenge officials announced the addition of SpaceCAD as an official sponsor of the event, and sole provider of the simulation software that teams will use to design their entries.

The software will be included in the packet each team receives when it registers for TARC, the world's largest rocket contest, which included about 10,000 middle and high school students in 2005.

"SpaceCAD allows you to design a rocket and tweak it to perfection, before you start working on the real thing," said SpaceCAD Owner Andreas Firnau. "It offers a very easy way to find out how different designs affect flight performance, allowing students to build a rocket that fulfills the challenging requirements necessary for TARC - saving hours of work in the process."

SpaceCAD is computer-aided design (CAD) software that allows users to see how the rocket will look before it is built through 2-D sketches and 3-D images. SpaceCAD also computes the stability of a rocket, graphs a flight prediction and simulates the descent phase. These simulations are necessary precursors to a successful flight and greatly enhance the chances of success in the Team America Rocket Challenge.

The 2006 contest challenge is to design, build, and fly a model rocket carrying a raw egg and return it safely to the ground while staying aloft for exactly 45 seconds and reaching an altitude of 800 feet.

"We're delighted to be using the SpaceCAD software for the Team America Rocketry Challenge," TARC Executive Director JP Stevens said. "It's quality software at a tremendous discount."

TARC is co-sponsored by Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry. This year, the Defense Department has joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a government partner in the 4th annual rocket challenge. The contest is financially supported by 39 individual AIA member companies.

The first 750 teams that submit an application package (available Sept. 7, 2005) postmarked on or before Nov. 15, 2005, will be allowed to compete in this year's event. The National Finals are scheduled for May 20, 2006, at Great Meadow, The Plains, Va. Additional information is available at www.rocketcontest.org. For more information on SpaceCAD software and additional products visit www.spacecad.com.

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