EuRoC 2021 – rockets are already taking off!

Danstar and Skyward, from Denmark and Italy respectively, were the first teams to tear up the skies in this year’s European Rocketry Challenge – EuRoC edition from Campo de Santa Margarida with their rockets. Both launches were successful. Until 17 October, all launches can be followed via live streaming through the Portuguese Space Agency Portugal Space’s Youtube channel. Before the first launches, the Portuguese Space Agency – Portugal Space and the Portuguese Army signed a cooperation protocol. 

Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency – Portugal Space, thanked the hospitality of the Army and all the support to EuRoC 2021. Recalling the progress that has been made since January 2020 to bring Portugal the first European edition of this aerospace competition, Ricardo Conde underlined the critical support given by the Army in this second edition, where we arrive with 20 teams, 20 rockets and 400 enrolled students, and concluded with the challenge: “I hope to have an Army team enrolled in 2022 as well!”  

Brigadier General Sérgio Augusto Valente Marques, Commander of the Mechanized Brigade, wished all the competitors a successful and safe competition, in compliance with the rules of environmental protection, offering the reminder that “in this event, where we also enter in the scope of Space collaboration, we express our confidence that it will demonstrate effectiveness, exceptionality and success in all the outlined objectives”. Furthermore, as the person responsible for the Santa Margarida Military Camp, he also pointed out that “the Army recognizes the high interest in this collaboration with Portuguese Space Agency and exploring new opportunities with an entity that is an innovation engine in Portugal”. 

 The launches began at 14:00 with the Danish team, Danstar, one of the three teams present in the first edition of EuRoC in 2020, returning this year. The Italians of Skyward have already hit the skies. From 17:00 to 18:00, the Swiss teams of the Piccard and EULER projects and the Austrians of Space Team Aachen will be launching their rockets.  

Also this morning, the EuRoC paddock at the Ponde de Sor Aerodrome – which is the logistical base for the competing teams in the Portugal Air Summit (PAS) – held the opening ceremony for the PAS conferences today, with interventions from the Ministers of Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos, and of National Defense, João Gomes Cravinho. These were followed by a guided tour of the EuRoC Paddock, conducted by Ricardo Conde. 

Until Sunday, 17 October, the competitors will be between Ponte de Sor (where the rocket assemblies were made). Then, between 13 and 16 October, they will be at Campo Militar de Santa Margarida for launches, with most activities concentrated on Friday and Saturday. 

Follow European Rocketry Challenge: 

Official Website (event program, videos, complete information): 

https://euroc.pt/  

Facebook:  

https://www.facebook.com/ERocketryC  

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/euroc_pt/  

Live streaming on Youtube channel — Portugal Space:    

https://www.youtube.com/c/Ag%C3%AAnciaEspacialPortuguesaPortugalSpace