My name is Carter Thompson, and I’m a senior year student at Sandpoint High School with a serious interest in aerospace engineering and rocketry.

I’ve gained hands on experience designing, building, testing, and simulating model rockets. I’ve competed in the American Rocketry Challenge, helped organize student rocketry at Sandpoint High School, worked with local sponsors, and helped raise more than $1,000 for previous rocketry projects.

Now I’m beginning a larger, long term project with the goal of attempting a professionally supervised student rocket flight to 60,000 feet. That would exceed the officially documented high school student rocketry altitude record of 45,482 feet. This project is not just for the fun of it, it's to put Sandpoint on the map for aerospace as a whole. and to allow more funding from our state to go to STEM engineering for those still in school, grades k-12.

Right now, I’m looking to connect with universities, aerospace organizations, engineers, authorized launch organizations, and businesses that could assist with funding, mentorship, building supplies, testing resources, and access to professional test and launch sites.

I understand that a legitimate attempt will require qualified adult leadership, progressive testing, regulatory approval, accurate flight data, an authorized launch site, and independent verification.

I’m Carter Thompson from Sandpoint, Idaho, and I’m aiming for 60,000 feet.