• 12 teams took part in the Northern Ireland Regional Finals of the 2025 UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC)
  • Slemish College are through to the UKROC 2025 National Finals
  • The 2025 UKROC competition will see almost 200 teams of schoolchildren from throughout the UK compete in seven regional competitions

 

Belfast (25 March 2025) – The Northern Ireland Regional Finals of the 2025 UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC) saw 12 teams of schoolchildren compete for a spot in the National Finals.

Slemish College have successfully advanced to the UKROC 2025 National Finals where they will join other regional champions to compete for the national title.

The competition sees teams of schoolchildren aged 11-18 design, build and launch a model rocket carrying a precious payload – two raw eggs.

Hosted by RLC Aerospace Limited at Langford Lodge, the winning team from Slemish College surpassed the competition’s altitude target of 790 feet, returning their rocket safely to the ground within the designated time window of 41-44 seconds.

Dr Steve Aiken OBE, Chair of the Northen Ireland Assembly All-Party Group on STEM and David Creighton, Engineering Director at Thales presented the awards to this year’s winners.

Organised by ADS, the UK’s aerospace, defence, security, and space trade association, this year’s competition is set to be the largest and most geographically diverse in the competition’s nearly 20-year history.

 

Leslie Orr, Director of ADS Northern Ireland, said:

“A huge congratulations to all the students who participated in today’s activities. UKROC plays a vital role in developing the next generation of leaders for our industry. By offering hands-on experience, this competition inspires a passion for STEM, showing that our sectors offer exciting and rewarding career paths. The competition at the National Finals will be fierce, and we wish all the schools the best of luck for the competition ahead.”

The 2025 UKROC competition will see almost 200 teams from throughout the UK compete in seven Regional Finals. The winners of the National final will head to Paris, where the UK will defend its two-year title as International Youth Rocketry Champions.”

 

The 2025 competition is kindly sponsored by Airbus and Lockheed Martin.