On 15 October, the Rocket Experiment Division (RED) achieved another victory at European level. The Aerospace Engineering Students’ Organisation at Técnico (AeroTéc) ranked 1st in the European Rocketry Challenge, in the 3km apogee category with solid propulsion, using the ‘Adamastor’ rocket.

In the event’s general classification, RED was placed fourth out of a total of 25 teams. ‘We’re very happy with the results, which represent a year of great effort and dedication,’ says Francisca Quaresma, the team’s vice-coordinator. ‘This has opened the door to a new era for RED, which we intend to continue next year,’ said the aerospace engineering student.

The European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) is the first rocket launch competition for European university teams. The Portuguese Space Agency created the competition in 2020 and, since then, it has brought together teams from various European countries in the Alentejo region. The event has already seen previous participation from RED, which in 2021 became the first Portuguese university team in a university rocket launch competition in Europe, with Blimunda. This vehicle was joined by Baltasar, the first rocket to be successfully launched and recovered, which was on display in the Main Pavilion, and Camões, which took part in the 2023 edition of EuRoC.

From Azores to Alentejo, RED has already launched rockets all over the country

At the end of September this year, RED debuted its space launch centre at Malbusca, in the south of Santa Maria Island, in the Azores, with two rockets designed to reach an altitude of ten kilometres, as part of the ‘Gama’ mission.

In addition to the space debut, the launch proved to be an added challenge for the students involved – the altitude target was well above three kilometres, the mark sought in previous RED projects.

‘It was a good opportunity to gain experience in a launch context since it’s difficult to carry out rocket launches in mainland Portugal, outside the context of the EuRoC competition,’ said Francisca Quaresma.

The launch centre at Malbusca is run by the Atlantic Space Consortium ASC, a national consortium between consultancy firm Ilex Space and aeronautical and aerospace construction company Optimal.