UKROC 2026 – Meet the Teams – Little Red Rocket
In the lead up to the UKROC 2026 National Final, we’re spotlighting the teams behind the rockets! Meet Team Little Red Rocket…
Intro
- Team name – Little Red Rocket (Ethan, Jakob, Deniz)
- School/club – Birkdale School
- Region/location – Sheffield
- Fun fact – We managed to break our rocket quite badly in a test launch two days before the North Regional. We spent six hours on a Sunday gathering materials and fixing the rocket, and we ended up winning the Regional!
How did you find out about UKROC?
We found out about the competition through friends in our school year who shared the same academic interests, also Ethan’s older brother had taken part two years ago and really enjoyed it.
What have you enjoyed most about the UKROC project?
The thing we enjoyed most about the UKROC project was testing the rocket for the first time. We’d spent so much time designing, simulating and building but had no idea if it would work anywhere near as well as we’d planned. It was so rewarding seeing the rocket we’d spent so much time and effort working on work as well as we’d hoped.
Would you encourage other teams to enter the competition?
Absolutely – not only is it a fun thing to do with friends, but also in the long term through the whole design and build process, the competition gives you a great opportunity to practice your engineering skills and really test yourself against other teams in your area.
Why did your school/club want to get involved in UKROC?
Getting involved in UKROC was an amazing opportunity for us as a team. We loved taking part in STEM competitions in the past so we were eager to try UKROC and it ended up being the competition we enjoyed the most!
Dr Jukes: This is the fourth time we have taken part in UKROC and it has made a huge impact in our school. This year we have been fortunate to receive some invaluable mentorship from Sheffield Hallam University rocketry club. They have visited our school, and helped us with our test launches, and this has really added a lot to the experience for the teams. We hope to continue this partnership long into the future!
What does the teacher/club leader think about UKROC?
Dr Jukes: I think UKROC is the best STEM competition around! The students work mostly independently and they have learned so much about rocket science, the design and manufacturing process, and having to make adjustments, sometimes very quickly, when things don’t go to plan. They have all developed skills in project management, teamwork, communication and budgeting, amongst many other things. They thoroughly enjoy taking part and their excitement and sense of achievement at the competition days is just fantastic to be around.
Want to share your experience? Email us ukroc@adsgroup.org.uk.