School’s rocket engineers fly the flag for UK in international finals

A team consisting of three Tonbridge boys took on national champions from the USA, France and Japan in the International Rocketry Challenge final.

The event took place at Farnborough International Airshow in July and saw the team finishing fourth overall after a close contest.

More than 70 teams, from schools and colleges across the country, originally entered this year’s UK Youth Rocketry Challenge. Having won the national finals of the competition in June, ‘Team Traffic Cone’ earned the right to take to the international stage. The team competing at Farnborough was made up of Second Years Alex Fu (PH2), Isaac Chan (MH2) and Ryan Fortune (PS2).

The mission set competitors the task of designing and building a model rocket, before launching it with a fragile load of two eggs. The rules stated that the rocket had to reach a height of at least 835 feet and return to the ground safely, with eggs intact, within 44 seconds.

The ‘Owl of Minerva’ team from Japan finished in first place, with ‘Newport Rocketry’ from the United States second and ‘Dream Tsuki’ from France third.

As part of the international final, the teams also presented their comments to a judging panel on the unique design and build of their rockets, reflecting on the challenges during the test phases as well as their overall experience of the Rocketry Challenge.

Nick Waite, Tonbridge’s Head of Science, who accompanied the team at Farnborough, said: “There was a great spirit of friendly competition. The boys enjoyed meeting the other teams, making new international friends and sharing their experiences of rocketry.

“They also had memorable visits to various displays, with the highlight being an evening meal spent with fighter pilots from the American Air Force.

“The two days were great fun and will have inspired the team, giving the boys a glimpse into future aerospace technologies and engineering.”

Keith Craven, Chief Executive for ADS, the UK trade organisation representing the Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space sectors, added: “Team Traffic Cone did a fine job at representing the UK. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing the progress they have made throughout the competition: the boys’ skills for their age are remarkable.

“The UK Rocketry and International Rocketry Challenge continues to be a great example of how industry can support and encourage young people in exciting STEM hobbies, and inspire them to choose a career in our industries.”