Endeavour wins Launch 4 Change rocketry competition

Launch 4 Change (L4C) is a national programme combining high-altitude rocketry with STEM outreach. The competition challenges the UK university rocketry community to independently design, build, and fly novel climate science payloads. 

Payload mission 

Adapted from a citizen science initiative, iSpex 2, the payload team developed and calibrated an optical train in-house, along with a data pipeline to process the images taken. The deployable payload used a compliant mechanism gimbal and grid fins to provide the required stable environment for the optics. Before launch, the team conducted rigorous testing and validation, confirming that the system can effectively measure key properties of light with high precision and minimal error. 

STEM and diversity outreach 

Over the past year, Endeavour worked with local schools helping students design, build and fly their own rockets at their first UK Youth Rocketry Challenge. Five school teams from Edinburgh, Dundee and Angus created small rockets to transport and recover an egg payload and were scored on target altitudes, flight times, and safely returning the egg. Their designs were created using OpenRocket software and used model rocketry parts and custom 3D printed components. 

Launch vehicle 

Shredder, Endeavour’s rocket, was created using in-house composite manufacturing. Propelled by a L1115 solid motor, the team reached an apogee of 4.2km and a top speed of Mach 1.16. The team flew their avionics stack with their Student Researched and Developed (SRAD) Flight computer and demonstrated live streaming capabilities, of both telemetry and video footage.  

Jan van der Kuyl, President of Endeavour, said, 

It was a true pleasure to attend L4C with our sounding rocket and spectropolarimeter payload, and we're incredibly proud to have been awarded first place for our efforts. This win recognises not only the hard work of the team over the past year, but also every team member who has contributed to our society over the past seven years. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who has supported us along the journey and helped to make this achievement possible. We are incredibly excited to build on this result and to see where our next endeavour takes us.