The search has begun for 2022 UK ROC Champions
Today, aspiring astronauts, rocket scientists and engineers from across the North of the United Kingdom are competing in the UK’s largest youth rocketry competition (UK ROC).
11 teams comprising of 54 11-18-year-olds from a range of schools, colleges, youth groups are launching model rockets and competing for a place in this year’s National final.
The regional event is being held at Elvington Airfield, York, and teams from across the region will go head-to-head in a battle to be crowned regional leaders and secure a place in the national final and become National Champions.
The National Champions will win 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 in July 2022.
UK ROC involves the design, build, and launch of a model rocket, with the payload of two raw eggs representing the astronauts. At the regional and national events, 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.
Commenting on the North regional event, ADS Chief Executive Kevin Craven said:
“The North of England is one of the UK’s largest aerospace and defence clusters supporting thousands of high-value jobs and UK prosperity.
“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.”