This year marks the first time the Abingdon School Rocketry Club is expanding beyond the founding team. The new members, Year 10-12 students from schools across the OX14 postcode, will compete in the UK Rocketry Challenge, an international competition to reach a target altitude as accurately as possible.
The new students bring diverse skillsets from their previous experiences, ranging from competition robotics to internships at CERN. Applying aerospace engineering concepts usually taught at university level, they will be challenged with advanced mechanical design, avionics and reliability requirements as they design, build and fly an actively guided canard-controlled rocket. Through the course of the programme, students will also learn to manage engineering projects under tight mass and budget constraints.
The programme begins with students designing and flying introductory rockets, learning the fundamental aerodynamics, CAD and simulation skills they need for their competition rockets. After that, students are free to develop their own ideas into functional designs.
The first launch window will be on 10 October, pending weather and regulatory clearance.
Written by Kevin, Upper Sixth
