ADS is the proud organiser of the UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC) and has been running the event annually since 2006.
The challenge is aimed at students aged 11 – 18 from any secondary schools, colleges, educational facilities or youth groups to design, build and launch a model rocket with a fragile payload.
The rocket must reach a set altitude with specific total flight duration and must adhere to the specific set rules. The competition’s rules and scoring parameters change each year to challenge the students’ ingenuity and encourage a fresh approach to rocket design.
After submitting your registration online there are three main stages of the competition;
- Regional Events
- The National Final
- The International Final
Key dates for 2025 event
- Friday 31 January – Registration deadline
- Tuesday 18 March – Midlands regional*
- Tuesday 18 March – Scottish regional
- Friday 21 March – Northern Ireland regional
- Tuesday 25 March – North regional
- Thursday 27 March – South East regional
- Friday 28 March – South East regional
- Saturday 29 March – South West regional
- Thursday 1 May – UK National Final, Buckminster
- 19 & 20 June – International Final at Paris Airshow 2025
We ask teams to note that the International Final will be held at Paris Airshow 2025. If your team progresses to the National Final, we ask that you only take part if your team can attend the International Final in person if crowned UKROC champions. Flights and accommodation is covered by UKROC.
*Please note that a Midlands regional event will only take place if enough teams register to attend. We aim to host a Midlands regional, however if this doesn’t happen you will be asked to attend the next closest regional from the locations above.
The Regional Events
In order to attend a Regional Event, you must register for the competition before the deadline date. You and your team can then attend a Regional Event nearest to you to launch your rocket and record your qualifying flights. Your rocket launch will be scored by our Rocketry Experts.
The best scoring team from each Regional Event will automatically go through to the UK National Final.
The National Final
The 20 top scoring teams from the Regional Events will meet at our National Final in Buckminster, Grantham. Similar to the Regional Events, you and your team will launch your rocket and if you win, well then you can start packing your suitcase as you’ll be going to compete in the International Finals!
The International Finals
This is the third and final stage of the competition. The UK winning team from the National final will compete against the winning teams from America, France and Japan at the International Final at Paris Airshow 2025! UKROC will fund the UK winning team to attend.
Watch the videos for: 2019 International Final, 2021 National Final, 2022 International Final and 2023 International Final
