UKRA is both shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Erik Gates who passed away aged just 47 on Sunday following an accident on the construction site where he was working.

We would like to express our condolences to Erik's friends and family and hope that knowing he was liked and regarded by so many around the world is some small comfort to them.

http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/3130/29/

MRC & UKRA "October Sky" weekend event

The event is being held on the 10th to the 11th of October 2009 at our Twycross 2 Flying Site (Camping available from Friday pm)

Flying Event Leaflet which covers the event is available to download @ http://www.midlandrocketry.org.uk/October_Sky.pdf

Winning TeamCongratulations to The Royal Liberty School in Romford the 2009 winners of the UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge.

On April 2nd 2009 at Charterhouse School, Surrey, 20 teams from across the UK gathered for the final of the 2009 UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge.

Royal Liberty School Team 1, from Romford in Essex, took home the winner's trophy by completing the contest's task most successfully. Teams had to build and test their rockets trying to meet the mission requirements of carrying 1 raw egg to reach exactly 750 feet with flight duration of exactly 45 seconds from lift-off to touchdown. The egg has to travel perpendicular to the flight of the rocket and returned undamaged back to earth.

The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), Tri Polus Ltd, UK Rocketry Association (UKRA), Space Connections and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) are pleased to announce the 20 finalists for the third UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKAYRoC) – to be held on April 2nd 2009 at Charthouse School, Surrey.

A record number of teams registered to participate in the qualification process covering a large number of regions.

Major news today on the Flight International site with announcements of BNSC (British National Space Centre) funding of the newly dubbed "Launcher One" which will cover the whole of it's development by SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Limited ). Launcher One will be air launched from Virgin's White Knight Two. Read more here at Flight Global

Flight International also has an annoucement of ESA funding, to the tune of 1 million Euros, for Reaction Engines and the development of their Sabre engine. An ingeneous air breathing rocket engine. This is excellent news indeed. This money is likely, among other research work, to help fund the development of the ED nozzle mentioned in an earlier news item.

UKAYRoCBlack Knights will be running a UKAYRoC qualifying day at their Oxhill site on the 15th February, weather permitting. Any teams that are thinking of coming along are asked to contact Dave Beeton (http://www.blackknights.org.uk/contact.htm) to confirm attendance and get directions etc.