10 Reasons to Do the Rocket Catcher Challenge

By Amy Cowen on January 23, 2025 8:00 AM

Thinking about the 2025 Rocket Catcher Challenge? Here are 10 reasons this is a great STEM challenge for your students!

Example of Rocket Catcher devices with rockets for the 2025 Engineering Challenge

The annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenge makes it fun for students to try engineering!

Each year, the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge presents an innovative and engaging engineering task and asks students in grades K-12 around the world to use the engineering design process to brainstorm, design, build, and test a solution.

The 2025 project is the Rocket Catcher Challenge and puts students on the cutting edge of exciting advancements in space science. Reusable rockets and vertical landings have been in the news as companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX continue to push the boundaries of space travel and rocket science.

The Rocket Catcher Challenge gets students involved asking the kinds of questions scientists and engineers are exploring as they pave the way to more powerful space exploration.

The Rocket Catcher Challenge

Using simple craft and recycled materials, students are challenged to design a device to catch a rocket for a vertical landing. The rocket is made from paper or recycled cardboard tubes. Using materials from the "allowed materials" list, students can get creative with the design of the rocket catcher, and make modifications to the rocket itself, as they use engineering design, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills to design, build, and test their devices to achieve a vertical landing. Once they have a working device, they can continue to improve it to increase the distance the rocket falls or reduce the materials used to increase the overall score.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVwjqPa7M8

10 Reasons to Do the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge with Students

It's fun! Students will have all kinds of creative approaches to designing a Rocket Catcher for the challenge. Bringing their designs to life is a great way to employ active learning!

It uses simple, low-cost materials. The Rocket Catcher Challenge uses everyday materials (e.g., paper and tape) and a few other craft and recycled materials that you may already have on hand. With a list of simple, low-cost materials that can be used, and a standardized rocket body made from paper or recycled cardboard tubes, all students are working from the same starting point and within the same limitations to solve the challenge. (Be sure to check the project directions or lesson plan(s) for the complete list of materials and their associated point values.)

It's accessible. The Science Buddies Engineering Challenge is open to students in grades K-12 everywhere. The emphasis is on trying engineering and thinking like an engineer to design a solution. Tip! Sample Rocket Catcher devices shown in the directions and overview video can be helpful for inspiration and as a starting point when brainstorming solutions with younger students, but these are not the only ways to build a rocket catching device for a vertical landing! With distance and materials both factoring into the final score, the Rocket Catcher Challenge easily scales in complexity to invite innovation and to be challenging for older students, too.

It demonstrates the engineering design process. Doing the Rocket Catcher Challenge emphasizes brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and iteration, all important steps of the engineering design process. There are lots of ways students might approach designing a device that meets the requirements, uses only allowed materials, and will enable a vertical landing. This kind of hands-on engineering activity empowers students to be creative in designing, building, and troubleshooting their unique solutions!

Iterate! The engineering design process involves testing, making changes, and testing again. Tip! Use this short video to talk about what iteration means with students.

It puts science concepts in action. Engineering projects often combine engineering design and other areas of science. Students doing this year's challenge will be learning about and using STEM concepts, including:

Kinetic and potential energy
Conservation of energy
Aerodynamic forces, including drag and lift
Aerodynamic stability
Material properties, like density, stiffness, and strength

Tip!: For supplemental lessons, experiments, and activities, see the following STEM resource collections:

26 Science Projects and Experiments To Teach About Types of Energy

13 Activities and Lessons to Teach Potential and Kinetic Energy

It emphasizes problem-solving and iteration. Students may find their rocket catchers don't work the first time. They might not be stable. The rocket may bounce out or may not be suspended high enough off the ground to meet the landing requirements. The landing angle may not be enough to qualify as "vertical" (per challenge rules). Students will need to practice problem-solving to find ways to improve their designs. Once their rocket catcher devices work, they can continue to try to increase the distance from which their rockets fall and are successfully caught "vertically" by their devices. The greater the "fall distance," the more points the team will earn! Seeing their perseverance and determination in action can be incredible, and encouraging them to find ways to solve problems helps build confidence in their STEM skills.

It supports teamwork. Students can build their rocket catcher devices alone or on teams of up to four students. When working on a team, students practice important real-world collaboration and communication skills as they work together to build, test, and improve their final design.

It's doable in and out of the classroom. The Rocket Catcher Challenge is designed for classroom use, but it works for out-of-school programs and for families at home, too. (Families can choose to have kids enter the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge even if it isn't assigned at school!)

It could win money for your program. There are ten $1,000 (USD) prizes up for grabs in the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge. All complete entries from students in listed geographic locations (see eligibility information) will be entered in random drawings for a chance to win money for the student or team's school or qualified organization. Prizes are not awarded based on high scores. In eligible locations, your students have a chance to win $1,000 for your program just by entering the challenge.

It's a global challenge! Students from around the world are invited to take part in the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge. While only students in certain locations are eligible for the random drawings (see eligibility information), students everywhere can submit their Rocket Catcher Challenge solutions and compete to get the highest score and a spot on the leaderboard at the end of the challenge. (Educators will receive a printable certificate of participation that can be shared with students.)

How to Enter the 2025 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge

Submissions for the Rocket Catcher Challenge will be accepted using the online entry form from February 16-March 17, 2025.

When the submission window opens, it will be available from the main Engineering Challenge page.

The challenge is free to enter.

2025 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge Resources

Directions for the Rocket Catcher Challenge are available in the following formats:

Rocket Catcher Challenge (independent student project)
Elementary School Rocket Catcher Challenge Lesson Plan
Middle School Rocket Catcher Challenge Lesson Plan
High School Rocket Catcher Challenge Lesson Plan

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