UKROC 2026 – Meet the Teams – Team Champagne SupaNova
In the lead up to the UKROC 2026 National Final, we’re spotlighting the teams behind the rockets! Meet Team Champagne SupaNova…
Intro
- Team name – Champagne SuperNova (Ted Melville, Logan Farrow, Nova Wu, Liza Handziuk, Sam Crabb, Riley Gardner-Boyden)
- School/club – Westcliff High School for Boys
- Region/location – South East
- Fun fact – At the regional final, the same rocket of ours landed in the same tree, twice!
How did you find out about UKROC?
Our school has been doing UKROC for 5 years and was set up by a student. The student had heard of UKROC by word of mouth and conversations with rocketry experts and mentors. The student brought that enthusiasm into school and helped pilot the rocketry society at school. Now the interest has grown by over 15x than it was in the first year.
What have you enjoyed most about the UKROC project?
Our favourite part of UKROC is how it encourages us to problem solve in a hands-on way. Any changes we make to the rocket make an impact on the flight characteristics. It is so powerful to know that your project’s success is under your control and expertise. Not many opportunities are this practical – UKROC is a great way to apply classroom learning to real-world problems.
Would you encourage other teams to enter the competition?
I would thoroughly recommend any schools/students considering UKROC to go for it. You may not be successful straight away, but you will definitely learn more about rocketry, and also your own character. UKROC helps to build communication, creativity, confidence, and organisation, among many other skills. There is no other competition like it!
Why did your school/club want to get involved in UKROC?
Our school was keen to get involved in UKROC as our students are keen to take what they learn and apply it to a real-world scenario, testing their problem-solving skills. The interest by students was strong and the support from staff was immense. When an opportunity like UKROC comes up, everyone should grab it!
What does the teacher/club leader think about UKROC?
UKROC has enabled the students to explore their passion of science, engineering, and maths, in a practical way that cannot be taught in a classroom. I have never seen students so keen about a project. This competition enables them to get together, share their skill set, and gives them a taste of industry too. UKROC should be considered by many more schools as a practical activity to increase STEM engagement.
Want to share your experience? Email us ukroc@adsgroup.org.uk.