Carter Thompson: Aiming for 60,000 Feet
A Sandpoint senior targets a student rocketry record
By Like Media Team
Carter Thompson launched his first rocket at a Spacepoint event at the Sandpoint Public Library, where his dad took him to build and fly a basic kit.
“Seeing those rockets take off sparked something in me right away,” Carter says. “As I kept building and learning, it grew from a fun weekend activity into something I knew I wanted to pursue seriously as a lifetime career in aerospace engineering.”
Today, the Sandpoint High School senior leads Selkirk Launch Group, a student team working toward a rocket flight to 60,000 feet. The ambitious target exceeds the 45,482-foot record set in 2022 by Brazoswood High School's Goddard Rocket Team in Texas for student-researched-and-designed hybrid rockets.
A team of 21 Brazoswood students launched Horizon 1 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Carter hopes to take his team's own engineering work even higher.
From the Library to Nationals
Carter's interest grew with each build, leading him to help organize student rocketry at Sandpoint High School and compete in the American Rocketry Challenge (ARC), a national competition that tests students' engineering skills.
In the 2024–2025 season, two Sandpoint High School teams qualified for the national finals in Virginia. They were the only Idaho teams among the 100 finalists. Reaching Nationals meant turning designs into rockets that could meet tight flight requirements.
That year's challenge required carrying two raw eggs to a target altitude of 790 feet and returning them intact. Carter's team developed a custom payload compartment called the “Eggovator.” It protected the eggs during flight and made them easy to load and retrieve after recovery.
Carter says the rocket performed almost flawlessly.
“Competing taught us how crucial precise engineering and repeatable systems are when every single second and foot of altitude counts,” he says.
When Things Go Wrong
The following season brought a harder lesson. On the team's first ARC launch of 2025–2026, the team selected motors with the wrong ejection-charge delay. The rocket reached its highest point, but the parachute never deployed. It kept coasting, then dove straight into concrete.
The impact destroyed an $80 altimeter, the onboard instrument that measures a rocket's altitude.
“It was honestly pretty funny looking back at it, but definitely disappointing at the moment,” Carter recalls.
The team learned to check every motor specification and recovery component before launch.
The red, white and blue rocket in Carter's senior photos represents another stage of his education. Originally built for a cluster-motor configuration, it eventually served as a photo prop before he scrapped it.
“Building it taught me a lot about motor mount configurations, structural balance, and composite prep, lessons I'm carrying directly into our high-altitude builds,” he says.
The 60,000-Foot Goal
Carter describes the proposed high-altitude rocket as a move into supersonic, multistage composite designs capable of exceeding Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound.
The plan involves lightweight carbon-fiber airframes that can withstand demanding flight conditions, along with custom avionics, dual-deployment recovery and long-range GPS tracking. The team also anticipates static motor testing and the necessary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airspace authorizations before any launch.
Each part presents an engineering challenge. The airframe must balance strength and weight. Recovery systems must function reliably, and tracking equipment must help the team locate the rocket after it descends. Testing and experienced oversight will be essential as the team moves forward.
The difference between a competition rocket and a high-altitude attempt is striking. In ARC, the team worked toward a specific flight profile, protecting eggs and controlling altitude and timing. For this next project, the questions grow: how to manage greater speeds, how to retrieve a rocket after a much higher flight and how to document the results. Carter is approaching those challenges through the same practice that brought him to Nationals: build carefully, test what can be tested and learn from each attempt.
Building Support in Sandpoint
“Even though ARC is on a smaller rocketry scale, it still requires real funding,” Carter says.
To support his high school team, he approached local businesses with sponsorship presentations and offered advertising space on rockets and team materials. The effort raised more than $1,000 and gave Carter experience explaining technical goals to potential supporters.
“Putting together sponsorship presentations and following up with local supporters proved that local businesses are eager to invest in Sandpoint students when you show them a clear vision,” he says.
“My mom and dad have been massive supporters from day one, helping me out in every way they possibly can,” Carter adds. He also credits supporters SparkFun, Jacob Bagnell and John Blair, along with his teammates, for contributions ranging from design assistance to funding.
For the 60,000-foot project, Carter reports that the group has raised roughly $3,000. Specialized motors, carbon fiber and telemetry equipment remain major expenses.
The team is also seeking certified mentors affiliated with the National Association of Rocketry and the Tripoli Rocketry Association, especially those with Level 3 high-power certifications. Their guidance would help students navigate the demanding technical and regulatory steps ahead.
Finding the right mentors matters as much as purchasing equipment. Carter is seeking people who have already worked through high-power launches and can share their experience with students taking on unfamiliar technical demands. Local businesses can follow the project as it develops.
A Bigger Purpose for STEM
Carter hopes the project encourages more state investment in K–12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. In Bonner County, he would like students to have hands-on access to 3D printers, computer numerical control machines, electronics labs and flight equipment.
“It shows students in rural Idaho that they don't have to wait until college to build incredible, real-world engineering projects,” he says.
After graduation, Carter plans to attend Boise State University (BSU) and participate in its rocketry and microgravity initiatives. He hopes to help rebuild and expand a student rocketry team there. Boise State's Micro-g NExT students have built devices for NASA challenges and tested them at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, giving undergraduates experience with real aerospace problems.
“The hands-on engineering, sponsorship management, and high-power rocketry experience I'm getting from this 60,000-foot project is setting the foundation for my work at BSU and my career in aerospace,” Carter says.
He is grateful to those who have helped the project progress and wants younger students to see engineering as something they can begin exploring now.
“To any younger students reading this: if you have an interest in science or building things, get involved! Start with small kits at your local library, ask questions, and don't be afraid of failures along the way; they're just part of the learning process.”
Support the 60,000-Foot Project
Carter and Selkirk Launch Group are seeking financial sponsors and certified high-power rocketry mentors.
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