Family Trip Itinerary

Washington DC — 2026 ARC National Finals

Thursday, May 14 – Sunday, May 17, 2026

Duration

4 days / 3 nights

Hotel

Staybridge Suites Chantilly

Return Flight

UA 326 · IAD → Seattle

Event

American Rocketry Challenge

Day 1

Thursday, May 14 — DC Sightseeing Day

Exploring the National Mall: museums, monuments & the Capitol

📍

Commute via Metro — Park at Vienna Metro Station (9550 Saintsbury Dr, Fairfax, VA 22031) · approx. $5 parking/day · Orange Line to L'Enfant Plaza Station

🚶

Walking loop from L'Enfant Plaza: Capitol South → U.S. Capitol → Library of Congress → Botanic Garden → Washington Monument → White House → Lincoln Memorial → L'Enfant Plaza Open in Google Maps

🗺️ Thursday Walking Route · National Mall Loop 8 stops ~2.7 mi Tap to view map Tap to hide

8:00 – 9:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel Staybridge Suites Chantilly Dulles Airport · relaxed morning
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Drive to Vienna Metro Station Directions Park & board Orange Line toward New Carrollton · ~$5 parking/day
12:11 – 12:56 PM Orange Line: Vienna → Capitol South Station ~45 min · trains every ~12 min midday · Capitol South is the closest stop to the Capitol (~5 min walk)
1:05 PM Arrive at U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Walk from Capitol South · arrive 15 min early for security screening
1:20 PM U.S. Capitol Hill Tour (booked) Bring photo ID
3:00 PM Library of Congress (booked) Jefferson Building — connected to Capitol via tunnel
4:00 PM U.S. Botanic Garden Free entry · quick stop on the way to the monuments
4:45 PM Monuments walk: Washington Monument → White House → Lincoln Memorial Walk route ~1.6 mi walk along the National Mall
5:41 – 6:27 PM Metro: L'Enfant Plaza → Vienna Station Drive back to hotel
7:00 – 8:00 PM Meet with teacher & coaches Staybridge Suites Chantilly Dulles Airport · 3860 Centerview Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151

✈️ Tip

Air & Space Museum visit cancelled — day now starts at the 1:20 PM Capitol tour. Keep the 2 booked slots (Capitol, Library of Congress) as anchors. Bring photo ID for the Capitol tour.

Day 2 · ARC

Friday, May 15 — Udvar-Hazy Tour & Team Briefing

Guided museum tour, ARC registration, sticker exchange & finalist team briefing

📍

Afternoon at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center · 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy, Chantilly, VA 20151 (~3 mi from hotel) · evening at Metz Middle School · 9950 Wellington Road, Manassas, VA 20110 — ~30 mi from Udvar-Hazy. Plan for heavy I-66 traffic after 2:00 PM.

12:30 PM Depart hotel for Udvar-Hazy Center Directions ~3 mi / 10 min · arrive ~15 min early to check in
1:00 – 2:30 PM 🛩️ Guided Tour — Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (added) 👥 Students + one adult per team only · Smithsonian companion to the Air & Space Museum — Space Shuttle Discovery, SR-71 Blackbird, Concorde & more
2:30 – 5:00 PM Free time / early dinner Return to hotel to regroup, or grab an early dinner near Chantilly before heading to Manassas
5:00 PM Depart for Metz Middle School Directions ~30 mi · allow 60+ min for Friday I-66 traffic
6:00 – 7:00 PM Arrive at Metz Middle School Directions Pick up registration materials · Aurora shipments available from 6:00 PM
6:00 – 9:45 PM Finalist registration & Aurora shipment pickup
6:30 – 7:15 PM NEW! RTX Sticker Exchange (gym) Bring ~700 team stickers (1" diameter) to trade
7:30 – 8:45 PM Finalist Team Briefing (auditorium) — required 🎯 Random altitude draw for both flight rounds (altitudes between 725–775 ft, different target for 1st vs 2nd round). Duration goal: 36–39 sec both rounds. Weather call for Saturday announced.
~9:00 PM Drive back to hotel Directions
9:30 – 10:30 PM 🧠 Team Strategy Session (hotel) — plan for the drawn altitude targets Now that the 1st & 2nd round altitudes are known, students discuss:
• Ballast / weight tuning to hit the target altitude (goal: 725–775 ft)
• Parachute size for 36–39 sec descent time
• Altimeter programming — know how to set it as launch status
• Check the Saturday forecast & fine-tune weight and parachute strategy for temperature and wind
• Prepare a written checklist for tomorrow's 45-min prep window
~10:30 PM Lights out — early start tomorrow!

⚠️ Important

Arrive at Metz MS no earlier than 6:00 PM and no later than 7:00 PM to avoid lines. Do NOT go to Aurora directly — shipments are delivered to Metz.

Day 3 · Competition

Saturday, May 16 — ARC National Finals

Fly-off day at Great Meadow · plan to stay through 8:00 PM BBQ

📍

Great Meadow · 5089 Old Tavern Road, The Plains, VA 20198 — I-66 exit 31, left on Hwy 245, follow signs 2 mi · Gate 5 general parking (free). Arrive at least 2 hours before your assigned launch window.

6:45 AM Finalist Registration & Egg Issue open First launch window teams — arrive now
7:00 AM Pre-Flight Check-In opens (1st 24 teams)
7:30 AM Gates open for spectators
8:15 – 8:30 AM Opening Ceremony · National Anthem
~2 hrs before
your window 🔧 45-min Prep Window — students only (no adults in check-in / on field) Prep window = the 45-min launch window immediately before your team's. Be done setting up by the time your launch window opens.
✅ Pick up NAR-issued egg at Egg Issue table (55–63 g, ≤45 mm)
✅ Install new altimeter & program for drawn altitude target
✅ Install the egg into capsule per design
✅ Install rocket motor with mechanical retention (clip / hook / screw-on cap — not friction fit)
✅ Pre-flight safety & rules-compliance inspection by judges
✅ Confirm ARC team number is on the rocket
📵 NO cell phones / digital devices / radios from check-in until rocket is returned — violation = escorted off the field
8:30 – 9:15 AM Goddard 1 — 24 team 1st launches
9:15 – 10:00 AM Stine 2 — 18 team 1st launches
10:00 – 10:45 AM Goddard 3 — 24 team 1st launches
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Team Rocket-Building Competition (Members' Hill)
10:45 – 11:30 AM Stine 4 — 18 team 1st launches
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Lunch for Finalists & Team Advisor (Dining Tent)
11:30 – 12:15 PM Goddard 5 — 17 team 1st launches
12:45 PM NAR High-Power Rocket Demonstration
1:00 PM Deadline — returning rockets post-flight (1st flights)
1:15 PM Announcement: Top 42 teams from preliminary round
2:15 – 4:00 PM Astronaut Ice Cream Social for teams 🍦
2:15 – 3:00 PM Goddard 6 — 1st–24th team 2nd launches (fly-off)
3:00 – 3:45 PM Stine 7 — 25th–42nd team 2nd launches (fly-off) ** weather permitting **
4:00 – 4:30 PM NAR High-Power Rocket Demonstration
4:30 PM Deadline — returning rockets post-flight (2nd flights)
5:00 – 6:00 PM 🏆 Awards Ceremony (Dining Tent)
6:00 – 8:00 PM BBQ Dinner — then head back to hotel

🌦️ Weather Contingency

If Saturday weather is unfavorable (heavy rain or sustained winds >20 mph), fly-off postpones to Sunday, May 17. Decision announced at Friday's briefing. Keep the return flight buffer in mind.

Day 4 · Departure

Sunday, May 17 — Fly Home to Seattle

Relaxed morning · depart from IAD in the late afternoon

✈️

Depart from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) — ~5 miles / 10 min from the hotel.

Morning Sleep in, breakfast, pack up Hotel checkout — Staybridge Suites Chantilly
Late morning Optional: last-minute sightseeing Udvar-Hazy already covered on Friday's guided tour
~2:30 PM Head to IAD airport Directions Return rental car · clear security
~3:00 PM Arrive at IAD — check in for flight Aim to be at gate by 5:00 PM
5:55 PM ✈️ UA 326 · United Airlines · IAD → SEA Return flight to Seattle

⏰ Buffer Reminder

If the fly-off postpones to Sunday, departure timing gets tight. Consider putting hotel checkout & luggage in the car before heading to Great Meadow that morning.

Reference

ARC Finals Procedures — Key Rules & DQ Risks

Summary of the official FINALS PROCEDURES document · review before Saturday

📵 Students-Only & Digital Disconnect

Only student team members in check-in or on the flying field — no teachers, parents, or mentors may assist with prep/launch
No cell phones, digital devices, or radios for students from check-in until rocket is returned
Violation = escorted off field, credentials confiscated, barred for the rest of the day
Medical phone accommodations must be pre-requested in online forms
Once a rocket is in check-in, it may not leave until after it has flown

⏱️ Launch Windows & Timing

Each team gets a 45-min prep window + 45-min launch window
Assignments posted by May 11, 2026 at rocketrychallenge.org — not negotiable
Arrive at Great Meadow at least 2 hours before your launch window
Prep window = the launch window immediately before yours
Must achieve liftoff during your window or be disqualified — misfires are not an excuse; don't wait until the last moment

🚀 Flight Rounds & Fly-off

All 1st flights complete by 12:15 PM
Top 24–42 teams invited to 2nd flight (2:15–3:45 PM)
Round 1 & Round 2 use different altitude targets, both drawn Friday night (both 725–775 ft)
Duration goal: 36–39 seconds for both rounds
Final ranking = sum of both flight scores
Fly-off teams notified by 1:15 PM · top 40 (or 20 if weather-shortened) are awarded
2nd-round flight may use a different (previously test-flown) rocket

🥚 Returns & Eggs — Critical

Must return rocket with egg + altimeter still inside to Returns Table
Team owns the egg until handed to the NAR return official — any breakage until then = DQ
Egg breakage on landing before return = disqualified
1st-flight returns: by 1:00 PM
2nd-flight returns: by 4:30 PM
Egg is provided by NAR (≤45 mm dia, 55–63 g, weight marked to 0.1 g)
Rockets stuck high in trees or on power lines = non-recoverable; may use replacement

📐 Rocket Design Rules

Max 650 g at liftoff (rocket + egg + motor)
Max 80 N·s total impulse across all motors
Min 650 mm overall height · min 47 mm body-tube OD (same diameter full length)
Single stage only
Motor retention must be mechanical (clip, hook, screw-on cap — or non-heat-sensitive tape on exposed motor tube); no friction fit
All sections must stay connected on recovery via parachute — any separation = DQ
Paper/wood/fiber surfaces must have a decorative finish (paint or adhesive patterns) — else 5-pt penalty
ARC team number must be on the rocket · must have been test-flown before

⚡ Launch Equipment

NAR provides: 6-ft "1010" T-slot launch rail, three-legged pad, 18 A / 12 V ignition leads (car battery + 60 ft of 16-ga wire)
Your rocket needs size 1010 rail buttons — launch rods not allowed
Min rail/launcher length: 6 ft
Teams may bring their own pad/rail/launch system — must comply with NAR Safety Code & have a blast deflector; safety check required
"Clip whip" needed if lighting clusters of motors from the single pair of micro-clips

🎛️ Electronics & Control

No radio control or human intervention during flight
Allowed: onboard timers, altimeters, autonomous flight control
Not allowed: pyrotechnic deployment charges (black powder, pyrodex, small rocket motors)
Allowed for recovery triggering: burn-through wires or igniters
Acceleration-triggered systems must have a safety disconnect (switch/plug) — won't be allowed to fly otherwise

🧰 Primary + Backup Model

Bring 2 models if possible
Backup flights may be allowed for: unrecoverable tree/power-line landing, motor catastrophic failure, or altimeter failure (reading >0 but <50 ft)
Backup slots reserved in the last 1st-flight window (11:30 AM – 12:15 PM)
Design changes allowed up until check-in — no requirement to fly the same qualification design

🌬️ Weather & Wind

NAR Safety Code limit: 20 mph wind
At that wind, a rocket aloft ≤39 sec should stay on the field
If heavy rain or sustained >20 mph winds all day → fly-off postpones to Sunday (announced Friday night)
Thunderstorms that shorten the day may reduce fly-off to 24 teams / single round