UK ROCKET LINKS

UK ROCKETRY GROUPS

United Kingdom Rocketry Association (UKRA)
- UKRA is the National Rocketry Body which oversees High Power and Amateur rocketry in the UK, and liaises on behalf of UK rocketeers with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the British Model Flying Association (BMFA). Established in 1996, UKRA is open to both individuals and to groups and societies who wish to affiliate to it (all of the serious UK rocketry groups are affiliated to UKRA). UKRA holds rocket launch events, runs a Model Rocketry Achievement Programme (MAP), attends exhibitions and conferences such as the BROHP Conference and produces a magazine (called 10,9,8...). UKRA membership provides insurance for UK rocketeers. UKRA also has a Safety and Technical Committee, which is responsible, amongst other things, for evaluating experimental rockets and overseeing UKRA Range Safety Officers.

MARS Advanced Rocketry Society (MARS)
- Admitedly, I'm biased, but in my opinion, currently the leading UK contender for putting an amateur rocket into space based on experience of the team, and previous achievements (first amateur hybrid rocket launched in the UK, current highest verified altitude achieved by a UK rocket).

North Star Rocketry Group (NSRG)
- The NSRG are an extremely creative group, and construct some very unusual rockets, build some very interesting electronics for rockets, as well as conduct large numbers of launches. Another group MARS will happily share beers with (and frequently do!)

East Anglia Rocketry Society (EARS)
- EARS was established in 2000, and due to its excellent launch site near Elsworth in Cambridgeshire, has rapidly established itself on the UK rocketry map. It is the principal launch site used by MARS, and EARS itself has a lot of potential as a group.

Wirral Rocketry Society (WRS)
- The Wirral Rocketry Society are a North West based rocketry group who launch near Ormskirk. The WRS work in conjunction with students from Manchester University, and as well as model and high power rocketry, the WRS have also worked on experimental rocketry projects, and launch sophisticated avionics systems.

Lincolnshire Amateur Rocketry Flyers (LARF)
- LARF are, not surprisingly, based in the Lincolnshire area and launch from the main UKRA launch site at Heckington near Sleaford.

Canterbury Rockets (CROCK)
- CROCK was originally established in 1997, and used to launch near Canteurbury (hence the name). For the past few years, they ahve been launching from a larger site at Kent Marshes near Rye (East Sussex).

Some People Attempting SPASE Entry (SPASE)
- Team SPASE was formed from dedicated rocketeers aspiring to setting new goals in UK rocketry. Forming a team provides individual expertise in to a team environment allowing new goals to be achieved that would never of been considered before.

STAAR Research
- Formally established in 1987, but with members with roots in UK rocketry associations dating back to the 1960's, STAAR Research is one of the elder groups of UK rocketry. STAAR Research is an active body, and carries out R&D on waverider spaceplanes, as well as holding educational rocket workshops. STAAR Research has been the organiser of the International Rocket Week (incorporating the Scottish Rocket Weekend) since 1987, and previously helped with the event since its first year in 1985. The IRW, as it is known to all, now has its own website at http://www.irw.org.uk

Sheffield Rocketry Association (SRA)
- MARS's main rival in the altitude stakes. We are engaged in friendly competition with the SRA, so friendly in fact, that we even lend each other equipment for various launches ! We can't let the SRA beat MARS, otherwise we'll be buying them beer for evermore !

ScotRoc
- An offshoot from STAAR Research. ScotRoc is fronted by Bobby Wark, legendary rocket boost glider builder.

Thrust
- One of the longer established of the High Power Rocketry groups, Thrust built up a steady following, and held the UKRA launch event for 3 consecutive years. Unfortunately, they lost the use of their launch site, so are currently not very active on a group level, although indvidual members of Thrust can be seen launching at a number of the other group launches.

Hornchurch Area Rocket Team (HART)
- HART was established in 1995, and has grown to become one of the main model rocketry clubs (with occasional forays into mid and high power). HART also hold model rocket dragster competitions.

Black Knights
- Black Knights established in 2000, and based in the West Midlands, has become the premier rocketry club in the Midlands and Central UK area. Mainly launching up to K-class rockets from their site.

AspireSpace
- Formerly a fairly serious contender in the amateur rocket into space stakes, AspireSpace was established originally as the ASPIRE I rocket project in 1991, but has largely fallen by the wayside over the last 6-7 years, and now focusses on small hybrid motor static testing. Several of its former members joined MARS in order to crack on with serious rocket development, so it has unfortunately lost many of its experienced rocketeers.

North West Rockets
- Fronted by Dave Thomson, North West Rockets are best known for their tremendous camera launches, where they have flown both stills cameras and video cameras with excellent results.

See Also

UK Rocketry Vendors, UK Rocket Groups, UK Rocketeers, UK Rocket Educators, UK Space Organisations, UK Space Conferences/Events, UK Astronomical Organisations