Countdown to Lift-Off: 2023 FAI S World Championships for Space Models start this Sunday!
Excitement is mounting for the 2023 FAI S World Championships for Space Models, set to lift off this Sunday, July 2nd, in Austin, Texas, USA. This highly anticipated event will span six days, from July 2nd to July 7th, bringing together teams from all over the globe to showcase their rocketry skills and compete for the ultimate victory: World Champion.
The stage is set for an international showdown, with participants from as many as twenty countries, across North America, Europe, and Asia. With over two hundred competitors registered already, the 2023 FAI S World Championships for Space Models promises to be a spectacle of skill and determination.
This global gathering of rocketry enthusiasts will witness the convergence of talent, innovation, and sheer passion for space modelling. Nine individual events will feature in the championships, each with its own unique challenges and classifications for both Junior and Senior participants. All of the rockets will be hand built to push the boundaries of engineering and craftsmanship and showcase the thrills of rocket science in impressive feats of duration and altitude.
The FAI World Championships for Space Models date back to 1972 and return to the United States after a 31-year hiatus which has seen the competition taken to many other venues around the world including most recently in Romania in 2021. The Apache Pass Event Center, a private airport located in the metropolitan area of Austin, has been chosen as the venue.
The National Association of Rocketry (NAR), established in 1957, is the driving force behind the organisation of the event, in conjunction with the Academy of Model Aeronautics. With a mission to promote amateur sport rocketry on a safe, educational, accessible, and fun basis, the NAR has been instrumental in nurturing the passion for rocketry among enthusiasts of all ages.
Antonis Papadopoulos, President of the FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM), said:
“We are delighted that the 2023 FAI World Championships for Space Models will be taking place in Austin. Space Modelling is a very interesting sport that not only draws numerous competitors but also a significant number of young enthusiasts.
"Since the inaugural World Championships for Space Models in 1972, the Championships have consistently garnered impressive attendance, and this year will be no exception.
"We are confident that this event will be a resounding success, providing participants and spectators alike with a memorable experience.”
Follow the competition
FAI/CIAM will be providing coverage of the competition on the FAI website and social media pages:
Pictures: 2016 FAI S World Championships for Space Models - credit: Antonis Papadopoulos
