Under the guidance of local expert, George Tarver, our new Rocket Club has officially taken off. A team of Lower Sixth Physics students are now working together to research, design and build the next generation of rockets, which we are in the process of test launching shortly before entering the UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC) 2024.

These are not your average school rockets – no footpumps or alka-seltzer involved – but much larger in scale, requiring a special launch site.

On Friday, we completed the rocket and performed a swing test to check the aerodynamics and balance, and on Sunday the rocket soared to an altitude of circa 600 feet, with our payload remaining undamaged but some tweaks to be made!

UKROC aims to engage young engineers with practical experience of executing complex missions. It's an exciting way to learn more about maths and science, and the UK winners will compete against teams from France, the USA and Japan at the International Finals at the Farnborough Airshow in July.

Can our Rocket Team - The Eggstronauts - launch an egg higher than the other teams in our custom-built rocket? Watch this space!