Malta University team builds rocket for international challenge
The initial test launch will aim for an altitude of 1km
A University students' team has designed and built a rocket which it hopes to fire to a height of 1km and later 3km.
The rocket will be Malta’s first-ever entry into the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC), which brings together university teams from across Europe to demonstrate technical excellence in rocketry.
The University of Malta’s Rocketry Team officially unveiled its rocket during an event held at the Esplora Planetarium Hall in Kalkara.
“This project showcases the exceptional talent and ambition of our students and reflects the University of Malta’s dedication to supporting hands-on, research-based learning,” said Michael Quinton, representative of Xjenza Malta, during the opening remarks.
The UM Rocketry Team, composed of around 50 students from various faculties, has spent the past several months designing, building, and testing elements of the rocket. In the coming weeks, the rocket will undergo a dry burn of its propulsion system as well as a live test launch aiming for an altitude of 1 kilometre.
These milestones are essential in preparing for EuRoC 2025 in Portugal, where the team will compete to reach a 3-kilometre altitude, Xjenza Malta said.
“What started as an ambitious idea among students has grown into a fully-fledged engineering project with national significance,” said Francesco Cini, founder and president of UM Rocketry.