EuRoC places Portugal on the map of the world’s major aerospace competitions
The second edition of the European Rocketry Challenge started this Monday in Ponte de Sor, with 19 teams of university students from 13 European countries. Portugal will be represented, this year and for the first time, by a team from Instituto Superior Técnico - IST.
Ricardo Conde, president of the Portuguese Space Agency – Portugal Space, highlighted the «inspiring environment» being experienced at EuRoC, but above all the challenge of the 2021 edition already starting to show results of the Agency’s bet. «Last year, we challenged the Portuguese Universities and as a result of this, Instituto Superior Técnico is here, with a team ready to launch its rocket. Our bet is to transform EuRoC and Ponte de Sor into one of the university competitions’ world references in the area of Space».
Rogério Alves, the vice-mayor of the Municipality of Ponte de Sor, highlighted «the fact that EuRoC has a Team competing among the best in Europe from our main Portuguese universities – with a special meaning for me because it was my home for five years». And he adds: «Hosting EuRoc in Ponte de Sor is a breath of fresh air for our universities and higher education students. We are very pleased with this opportunity to contribute, involving students and widening their perspectives, in Portugal and abroad so that all Portuguese university students in these areas can join and participate in EuRoc».
«I am not here to talk about the event, I am here to recruit you, it would be excellent to have all these engineers working in the Army», said Brigadier-General Sérgio Augusto Valente Marques, Commander of the Mechanised Brigade, recalling the logistical support given by the Army, by providing the Military Camp of Santa Margarida.
This official opening ceremony was also attended by Pedro Pereira, councilor at the Municipality of Constância, where the launches take place, and closed with a golden key the activities planned for the first day of the European Rocketry Challenge, with the teams’ reception starting at 8:00 a.m.
The first day of the competition featured a welcome by Inês Ávila and a toolbox briefing conducted by Manuel Wilhelm, Range Safety Officers of the competition. Early in the afternoon, the team leaders visited the Military Camp of Santa Margarida, where the launches will take place.
Until Sunday, October 17th, the competitors will be moving between Ponte de Sor (where practically all the rocket assemblies have already been concluded), and Military Camp of Santa Margarida, where the launchings will take place from October 13th to 16th, most activities being planned for Friday and Saturday.
