NASA's Artemis II mission to the moon isn't expected to take off until 2024, but three teams of Florida students will be launching their rockets this weekend outside the nation's capital.

The students finalists in the  American Rocketry Challenge, the largest student rocket contest in the world.

It’s been months of testing and prepping by students like 11th grader Jesse McDaniel who is the captain of the Girl Scouts of Citrus team.

"I have a love for aerospace engineering,” McDaniel told Spectrum News. “So this has been right up my alley.

The team is one of 100 competing in the finals. Two teams from the Cornerstone School in Ocala, Fla., are also competing for the top prize. Friday they presented their designs on Capitol Hill.

"It makes me feel proud because of how far we've come,”said seventh grader Daniel Effren. “We've had some rocket failures and some things have gone wrong, but all our hard work paid off.”

"I'm exited to launch this rocket, see how it does and hopefully win," said fellow seventh grader Kyle Mantz.

'Rockets on the Hill' came a day after the Artemis II crew, which will orbit the moon next year, visited Congress. Jesse McDaniel, who saw Artemis I without astronauts blast off the the moon, says the NASA program has been a source of inspiration.

"I got to see that launch, which was really inspiring for me, but yes we have been keeping up with Artemis and that's heavily influenced us as we've continued our rocket journey," she said.

She’s also excited to see Girl Scout alum and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch as a crew member.

“Being a part of the Artemis II crew, that's spectacular. It's amazing to know that a fellow Girl Scout, a fellow woman is up in space supporting and representing girls for Artemis II," McDaniel said.

The rockets blast off on Saturday. Student finalists will compete for $100,000 in prizes and a trip to Paris for the International Rocketry Challenge.