Students from Sheffield Hallam have been named winners at Race 2 Space 2025, a national rocket propulsion competition.

After weeks of live rocket engine tests, the team beat 32 other universities to be named Best Newcomer.

Although new to the competition, the Sheffield Hallam team managed to build and test one of the highest performing and most reliable nitrous and IPA bi-propellant rocket engines.

Sheffield Hallam Rocketry Team, SHUROC, was founded in July 2024 after students attended the 2024 Race 2 Space symposium.

After officially setting up the society in September 2024, the team have successfully built their own UKSEDS (UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) rocket, achieving the highest altitude and their own 2kN rocket engine.

The team consisted of 12 students from first to final year studying within the school of engineering and built environment at Sheffield Hallam.

Ben Imber, President, Sheffield Hallam Rocketry Team (SHUROC), said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to win this award. Despite an intense year, the dedication of our hard-working team made it possible. SHUROC was started to give students more opportunities in rocketry and space, and we’re proud to see how far we’ve come together. Our next goal is to grow the team, involve more students from diverse backgrounds, and keep pushing the boundaries with our technical projects for the future.”

Dr Torsten Schenkel, associate professor of continuum mechanics, said: “I’m incredibly proud of what the students have achieved. Turning a theoretical rocket nozzle assignment into a working engine in under a year, alongside their studies, was an impressive accomplishment. Their engine’s performance at the competition exceeded expectations and was recognized by experts, showing they truly deserve to be called rocket scientists.”

Race 2 Space challenges university teams to design, build and hot-fire (ignite) their own rocket engines. This year, more than 300 students from 32 universities took part, competing in front of industry experts.

Backed by the UK Space Agency, Race 2 Space is a national competition that gives students the chance to fire powerful rocket engines they’ve spent the past academic year designing and building.

With over half of UK space companies reporting critical skills shortages, the competition gives students the practical, hands-on experience the industry urgently needs.

Alistair John, Programme Lead for Aerospace Engineering at the University of Sheffield and Race 2 Space Co-founder, said: “We’ve seen an incredible level of engineering skill and teamwork this year. Students have solved real-world problems under pressure, collaborated across disciplines, and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in student rocketry.

“The talent, passion, and resilience they’ve shown throughout the competition is exactly what the UK space sector needs. These are the job-ready graduates who will help drive the UK’s future in space innovation and keep us competitive on a global stage.”