Ignite the Future: Help Teens Build & Launch Rockets

TeamTrueFire Rocketry Club—made up of dedicated high school students from Sarasota and Manatee counties and powered through the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab—is on the brink of exciting new developments as we set our sights toward the 2024-2025 school year. We’re passionate about rocketry and always looking to push the limits of what we can achieve. To make our big plans a reality, we need your help.

We’re aiming for a Level 3 Tripoli certification, the highest in amateur rocketry. This certification doesn’t just let us launch high-powered rockets; it also provides access to more professional support, boosts our reputation, and allows us to use larger, more powerful rocket motors. With Level 3, we'll gain access to "Class 3 motors" capable of producing up to 5,120 Newton-seconds (N/s) of thrust. For context, this is over five times the thrust compared to the motors used in our ICARUS rocket that already achieved a mile-high flight. Reaching this goal requires significant investment in state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

Our next major project, Astra, will use our homemade rocket fuel to break the sound barrier and reach 10,000 feet. Last year, our ICARUS project achieved a Level 2 certification flight, reaching 4,953 feet. This year, we're determined to overcome the challenges we faced with ICARUS and make Astra a huge success. However, we need additional funding to cover the costs of materials and development.

We rely on existing donations through and from the Suncoast Science Center, our parent organization. With this GoFundMe campaign, we hope to become more self-sustained. Your contributions will help us get the resources we need.

Every donation helps us push the boundaries of rocketry and continue inspiring the next generation of aerospace enthusiasts. Thank you for your support!