In the US, students from war-affected countries find refuge and participate in a national rocketry contest.

In The Plains, Virginia, an hour away from the nation's capital, middle school students competed in the American Rocketry Challenge, the largest student rocket building competition globally.

The Defense Department, NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and leading U.S. defense contractors are sponsoring the contest.

Out of the 922 teams from across the country, only 100 were selected to travel to Virginia and compete in building a rocket that could carry an egg and launch it as high as possible without breaking it upon landing.

The team from Francis Hammond Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia, had already overcome the odds before stepping onto the field to launch their rocket. The group of students, who were not born in the United States, had families that fled their homes in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Their teachers recruited them to join the school’s rocketry club in part to help them learn English and adjust to life in America.

Artem, 12, arrived in the U.S. from Ukraine with his mother after Russia invaded in February 2024. Despite the snipers and tanks outside their apartment building, Artem was scared. Now, while his fellow Ukrainians use artillery and drones to fight the Russian military, Artem is designing rockets. Artem loves using his creativity and has found a home in his school’s art department. He helped design the team’s rocket.

Artem explained to Planet Chronicle that when it was necessary to install the motor, it didn't fit, so they had to enlarge the space.

Three years ago, during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Farhan, 13, along with his father, mother, grandfather, and sister, escaped the country. Now, he is concentrating on studying physics and aspires to become a pilot.

"We made it to here and accomplished a lot. I'm proud of us and my team," Farhan stated in an interview.

He did not discuss his journey to reach the United States.

To safeguard his family in Afghanistan, Farhan's father, who had worked with the U.S. government for years before the country fell to the Taliban, requested anonymity and hurried to get Farhan's family to the airport.

Farhan and his family embarked on a two-day trek through the scorching heat, enduring beatings from the Taliban. Upon reaching Abbey Gate, a U.S. Marine recognized Farhan's father, having worked with him previously. The Marine escorted the family into the airport, where they were warmly welcomed by a young female Marine. Tragically, just days later, the same female Marine was killed in the Abbey Gate bombing, along with 12 other U.S. service members.

When Farhan grows up, he wants to be a pilot, as his family safely arrived in the United States on a U.S. military plane.

"Our country was invaded, and we were no longer safe. As a result, we had to relocate," Farhan stated.

Another student on the team, Yosra, is also from a family that fled Afghanistan in August 2021. Her dream is to become a lawyer and work for the U.S. government, but currently, she enjoys building rockets, something the Taliban would never have permitted if she had remained in Afghanistan.

Yosra said, "I feel proud because it feels like I'm free. I could go anywhere I want, and I wouldn't be afraid to speak English. Even if I were there, I wouldn't dare to go to school. So, it feels nice."

Babur, who was 10 years old, left Afghanistan with his family on Aug. 27. His father worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military, enabling the family to migrate to the United States. Babur is passionate about studying science and space and aspires to work in the aerospace industry when he grows up.

Babur expressed gratitude because he is self-sufficient and has numerous opportunities to pursue his interests, such as the rocketry club and programs currently available.

NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, who represented his Pittsburgh high school at the same competition in 2003, observed the students' successful launch. Hoburg has spent 186 days in space and just returned last September from piloting the SpaceX mission to the International Space Station.

Hoburg expressed his strong enthusiasm for students to have hands-on experiences, try new things, possibly make mistakes, and learn that not everything goes as planned, as he stated in an interview with Planet Chronicle.

The team's rocket, which had soared 847 feet into the sky, landed in a bush during descent. Eager to retrieve their egg, the students rushed to the bush. However, they became embroiled in a dispute over how to extract it. Eventually, a competition official arrived to retrieve the rocket and its parachute from the bush.

The egg survived, and the students came in 50th place.

Despite not winning, Farhan is proud of his team's achievements. He stated that he aims to continue making his family proud.

"We're going to make our country and them proud," Farhan said. "We're going to pay back everything they did for us."