• Secondary school pupils from across the country encouraged to enter The Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge
• The challenge is the UK’s largest model rocket competition
• UK winners will secure a place in the international final at the Paris Airshow 2015

21 April 2015 – Secondary school children from across the UK are invited to enter the UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKAYRoC), with the top team taking their rocket to the Paris Airshow in June where they will compete in an international Fly-Off.

Designed to encourage teamwork, creativity and innovation, The Rocketry Challenge involves teams of up to ten creating a rocket using a basic kit. Finished rockets need to be more than 65 centimetres in length; motor-powered and capable of taking off and landing with a raw egg on board that remains intact. The winning rocket will be the one that travels highest and for the longest time.

Organised by UK trade organisation for space and aerospace industries, ADS Group, the competition is now in its ninth year. This year’s event is sponsored by Lockheed Martin UK and UTC Aerospace.

Paul Everitt, Chief Executive of ADS Group said: “The UK space and aerospace industries are world leaders and there are great career opportunities for young people with strong maths and science qualifications.

“The UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge is a great way to engage the next generation of engineers and give them practical experience of building and executing complex missions. This is an exciting way to learn more about maths and science with the UK winners getting the chance to compete against teams from France and the US at this year’s Paris Airshow.”

Stephen Ball, Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin UK said: “Lockheed Martin is building Orion, NASA’s deep space exploration capsule that took its first steps towards Mars with a successful test flight last year and we want to find the next generation of scientists and engineers who can help us to design the spacecraft of the future. The UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge is a great event to inspire young people about space and encourage them to consider careers involving science, technology, engineering or maths.”

While the maximum size of a team is ten, teams of four to five members is recommended, and there is no limit to the number of teams that can be entered.

There were more than 90 applications in last year’s challenge, with the winning team competing at the Farnborough International Airshow against finalists from the US, France and Japan.

Competitors can either self-qualify for the national final or attend a qualification day on 20 May. The top twenty teams will be invited to take part in the National Final in Essex on 2 and 3 June with the finalists invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris for the international Fly-Off on the 18 – 19 June. More information is available from: www.ukayroc.org.