Last week, the UK Youth Rocketry (UK ROC) team had a brilliant day in Parliament showcasing UK ROC, the UK’s largest rocket competition to MPs with 2021 Finalists Team Icarus from Epsom College.  

Throughout the morning, more than twenty MPs came to the reception to learn more about the competition and hear about the student’s experiences. It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight why UK ROC is such an important science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) outreach activity, and since the reception MPs have shared information about the competition on their websites, social media channels and local papers.  

UK ROC is a one-of-a-kind hands-on learning opportunity for 11–18-year-olds interested in STEM and is also a lot of fun. Speaking to Team Icarus, who came third place in the 2021 final, what was particularly striking was that most team members have engineering ambitions. Team Captain Amy hopes to study aeronautical engineering at university and saw UK ROC as a great opportunity to learn more about STEM and begin developing the skills needed for engineering. 

Commenting on Team Icarus’ participation in the competition, Amy said:  

“I have always dreamt of studying aeronautical engineering at university and pursuing a career in vehicle design, particularly for planes or rockets. So, the idea of creating a rocket was very enticing. The fact that we get the opportunity to design and manufacture a rocket was very appealing, as this has always been a dream of mine.” 

Every member of Team Icarus was enthusiastic about the competition and the experience they had, this year Epsom College has entered a new team and hopes to win the national final to compete at the international final, held at Farnborough International Airshow. 

Key Dates for your Diary  

  • 11 March 2022 – Registration closes, don’t miss out, register now.  
  • May 2022 – Regional Finals held across the UK.  
  • Tuesday 3 May 2022 – North, Elvington  
  • Thursday 5 May 2022 – South East, Stow Maries   
  • Sunday 8 May 2022 – South West, King Edwards School Bath  
  • Scotland, Northern Ireland and Midlands – tbc  
  • 29 June 2022 – UK National Final, held at the British Model Flying Association
  • 22 July 2022 – International Final, held at Farnborough International Airshow  

About UK ROC 2022  

The UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC) is a national competition for young people aged 11 – 18 from any secondary schools, colleges, educational facilities or youth groups to design, build and launch a model rocket with a fragile payload (usually raw eggs). The competition is designed to encourage creativity, innovative thinking and appeal to young people interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and inspire them to consider fascinating careers in the aerospace, defence and space industries.  

To be in with a chance of winning, the rocket must reach a set altitude with specific total flight duration and must adhere to specific set rules. The competition’s rules and scoring parameters change each year to challenge young people’s ingenuity and encourage a fresh approach to rocket design. The international finals will be held at Farnborough International Airshow in July 2022. 

If you’d like to find out more about the UK ROC, please visit the website, and to keep up to date with the latest blast offs, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!