Recrafting The Future of Aerospace Recent publications from the Aerospace Industries Association note that, "America's requirement for workers who are well educated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is falling far short of anticipated need. Trends are discouraging, and interest is lacking among American youth. We simply aren't producing enough engineers and non-engineering technical workers, such as hands-on manufacturing labor. Without dramatic change, these needs will go unmet, the future of the American aerospace industry will be bleak and the consequences for the nation will be extreme." The Aerospace Industries Association of America (AIA) was founded in 1919, only a few years after the birth of flight. Since then, their mission has taken on myriad forms, but their efforts each year to attract the best and brightest to careers in Aerospace via the Team America Rocketry Challenge are potentially some of the farthest reaching. Through TARC, they not only inspire today's youth to the look to the stars, but they help to craft a future for them and a nation. ANN had the chance to sit down with Audrey Koehler, Manager, of the 2010 Team America Rocketry Challenge to see how this amazing competition got its start, how it is conducted and the what the future holds. The challenge changes from year to year... This year, student teams were challenged to design, build and launch a model rocket to an altitude of 825 feet with a flight time of 40-45 seconds ...