The University of Liverpool’s student engineering and research group, LASER, has achieved a historic milestone with its first-ever rocket launch. This exciting event took place at the UKSEDS National Rocketry Championship in June, where LASER’s Unity Rise Rocket Team successfully launched their “Banana Split” rocket.
LASER, which stands for Liverpool Aerospace Student Engineering and Research, is based in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics. Founded in 2021, LASER brings together students from various departments, including Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, to develop space technology.
This year, the team competed in the UKSEDS National Rocketry Competition with the goal of designing and building a rocket to reach an altitude of 2500 ft (762m).
Led by 4th-year Aerospace Engineering student Natasha Cooper and 1st-year student Karl King, the Unity Rise Rocket Team dedicated countless hours to designing and preparing their rocket. They were joined by LASER founder Ahmed Al-Irhayim, who now works in the EEE department.
On the day of the competition, the team left Liverpool early in the morning, arriving at the Midlands Rocketry Club by 9:30 AM. With a launch slot scheduled for noon, they assembled the rocket on-site. Despite a last-minute hiccup with a missing launch lug, which was quickly resolved with the help of the manufacturer, the team was ready for their slot.
Unity Rise was the only team ready for launch at the designated time. Following safety checks, the rocket successfully launched, marking the University of Liverpool’s first-ever rocket launch. The team’s hard work paid off as they won the award for “Best Airframe” at the competition.
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LASER continues to work on a variety of projects, from satellites and weather stations to rockets and more. Members have access to exclusive lab facilities within the EEE department and the School of Engineering workshop. They also benefit from a small operating budget that supports student-driven projects, allowing them to contribute to larger initiatives like Cube-Satellites, Low Earth Orbit communication systems, and rovers.
The success of the Unity Rise Rocket Team exemplifies LASER’s mission to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration through engaging with space technology. For further information and to find out how you could get involved, please contact the team by email at laser@liverpool.ac.uk, or visit their website: laseruol.space.