This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Durham University Spaceflight on a project that culminated in launching a supersonic rocket in the Mojave Desert. Our goal? To launch a rocket that could soar beyond 10 km in altitude and reach speeds of over Mach 3. It felt surreal to think that in just a few short months, we’d be out in the desert pushing the limits of what a student-built rocket could achieve. Spoiler alert: it was an intense, wild ride.
Summer work
We had 10 weeks to design and build the rocket from scratch, a tight timeline that came with plenty of challenges. The plan was ambitious: two launches on consecutive days, with one using a smaller engine and the next a more powerful one. From coding and simulations to 3D printing and composites work, I spent my summer juggling numerous tasks to ensure everything came together on time.
The moment of truth approached quickly, and we had a whirlwind of last-minute tasks to complete before launch day.
Travel to California
After a 12 hour flight, arriving in Mojave felt like a movie scene—vast desert landscapes and the thrill of knowing our launch was imminent. But the final touches on-site weren’t without drama: late-night sanding, troubleshooting electronics, and a mad dash to chase down a FedEx truck carrying our rocket’s solid propellant. The stress was real, especially with only 30 minutes to assemble our engine under pressure.
Rosemary 2B launch day
Bright and early, we arrived at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry launch site. The task of integrating the rocket was far more complicated than it sounds, but by the early afternoon, Rosemary 2B was in the launch tower.
The anticipation was palpable, the siren rang out and people retreated to the bunkers. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… the engine roared and bright green flame expelled from the exhaust. Rosemary 2B shot into the sky, achieving an altitude of 10.9 km at Mach 2.2. We gathered telemetry data for the entire flight and hiked into the nearby mountains to recover her. Aside from some scorched paint from the extreme aerothermal heating, she was intact and ready for the next launch.
But there wasn’t much time to celebrate—another launch awaited me the very next day.
Rosemary 2A launch day
Fuelled by the success of yesterday, I returned. Preparation went smoothly at first, but last-minute issues with the flight electronics and a closing airspace waiver had us scrambling. With only two minutes to spare, my hands were shaking as we slid Rosemary 2A into the launch tower and watched her take off.
This time, the roar was even louder as Rosemary 2A blasted up to 18.4 km at Mach 3.3. However, a delayed parachute deployment left us unsure of her condition. The recovery would have to wait until the next day.
Fastest and highest UK amateur rocket ever!
On Monday, we set out into the desert armed with GPS pings and our radio tracker, spending hours in the heat searching for Rosemary 2A. Finally, we found her, mostly intact. Crucially, we recovered all our data, confirming that Rosemary 2A was the fastest and highest-flying UK amateur rocket ever! It was an incredible achievement that I will never forget.
And unwind…
After a hectic week of launches, my teammates and I spent a few relaxing days in San Diego and Los Angeles, soaking up the sun. It was the perfect way to wrap up such a high-intensity, exhilarating experience.
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