Young people have descended on York today for a competition that really is rocket science.
Aspiring astronauts, rocket scientists and engineers from across the North of the UK are competing in the UK’s largest youth rocketry competition – UK ROC.
Eleven teams, comprising of 54 youngsters aged between 11 and 18, are launching model rockets and competing for a place in this year’s national final.
The regional event is being held at Elvington Airfield.
UK ROC involves the design, build, and launch of a model rocket, with the payload of two raw eggs representing the astronauts.
The flight duration goal is 44 seconds, and the ‘astronauts’ must remain intact throughout the launch and landing.
Rules governing the competition are altered each year to encourage innovative thinking amongst participants and ensures previous designs can’t be repeated.
The regional leaders will head to the national final in July, where the winners will go on an all-expenses paid trip to represent the UK in a “fly off” against international teams from the USA, Japan, and France at the Farnborough International Airshow.
The event is organised by aerospace membership organisation ADS.
ADS chief executive Kevin Craven said: “One of the challenges the sector faces is inspiring and recruiting its future workforce and the UK Youth Rocketry Challenge is just one way we can entice people to learn more about the sector.
“It is vital to attract new talent and we hope this challenge will support and encourage young people into fascinating and rewarding careers in the future.
“The 54 11-18-year-olds competing from the region are developing the skills needed for high-value, high-wage and high-skilled career opportunities and I look forward to following the teams’ progress throughout the competition and seeing the national champion at Farnborough.”
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