Darmstadt students present rocket project in Portugal
The Rapid rocket team TU Darmstadt Space Technology e. V. (TUDSaT) association once again in the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) . Europe's largest academic rocket competition took place in Constância, Portugal , in October 2025. Having already achieved great success the previous year, the team returned to Darmstadt with new insights and experiences.
Europe's biggest rocket competition
The European Rocketry Challenge , an initiative of the Portuguese space agency , brings together the best student teams in Europe every year. The aim of the competition is self-designed rockets as precisely as possible to an altitude of three or nine kilometers while carrying scientific payloads
The rockets are designed, built, and tested entirely by students – providing hands-on preparation for careers in European spaceflight. This year, nearly 60 teams , of which only 28 were accepted. "Just participating is a huge success for us," says Jesko Fröhlich Hyacinth rocket . "Aerospace is constantly gaining in importance – and interest in EuRoC is growing along with it."
Challenges and team spirit
In 2025, the Darmstadt team ventured into developing their own rocket engine . However, the project proved challenging: due to a lack of infrastructure and workshop facilities, no engine tests Hyacinth was unable to participate in the event.
Nevertheless, TUDSaT presented a fully functional rocket and scored numerous points in the other evaluation categories – ultimately achieving a respectable 12th place .
"Even though the EuRoC is a competition on paper, the focus is on collaborative learning," emphasizes Fröhlich. "We helped other teams with components – our parachutes went to a team from Ukraine, our flight computer to a team from Berlin, and the Stuttgart team received a valve from us."
Looking ahead: Rocket launch planned
The project is not yet complete: TUDSaT plans Hyacinth at a later date. "Portugal taught us a lot," said Fröhlich. "We now know where we need to improve, but also where our strengths lie."
In the coming months, the team plans to expand its technical infrastructure and attract new funding partners to Darmstadt as a space hub . Interested supporters can find more information directly on the association's website, tudsat.space .
(DARMSTADT – RED/PM)
