A Custom Hybrid Rocket Built by Students Aims to Breach the Barrier Between Earth and the Stars

The Hybrid Engine Development (HyEnD) team, of the University of Stuttgart, is preparing to make history with the launch into space of the most powerful student-built rocket ever made: the N₂ORTH, powered by a mixture of solid fuel and liquid nitrous oxide.

"It's one of the most powerful and advanced student-built hybrid rockets in the world," claims Max Öchsle, HyEnD project manager, of the 25.6-feet 154lbs N₂ORTH, with which the team is aiming to beat the current world record altitude of 103.6km (about 64.37 miles) set by students from the University of South California in 2019. "The world record is within our reach. We could indeed beat it."

The team has its own record to beat, too: in 2016 HyEnD set a world record for student-built hybrid rockets, at 32km (just under 20 miles) — well short of this year's goal hit pass the boundary into space. N₂ORTH, then, has been built with exactly this in mind: built from lightweight composites, its hybrid engine offers impressive power from its mixture of solid and liquid fuels.

"We are particularly proud of the engine which we developed ourselves," Öchsle says. "With its thrust of up to 1.5t, it is one of the most powerful and efficient student made engines in the world. Another special feature is the parachute, which must be able to withstand supersonic speeds. Because there are no commercial parachutes available for these requirements, we made it ourselves." The rocket's thermal protective layer is made from cork, meanwhile, over an in-house epoxy laminate.

The team is hoping to make its record attempt, using one of two identical N₂ORTH rockets, in a launch window opening tomorrow — but it's not entirely certain when weather conditions will allow for lift-off. "The launch of the rocket will be a special moment for me," says Öchsle. "Over the past three years, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this project. The countdown to the launch will certainly be exciting. But we are confident that everything will go according to plan. Of course, I’m most looking forward to the moment when the rocket takes off."

Those interested in following the rocket on its record-breaking launch attempt can monitor updates on the HyEnD website, while the launch will be live-streamed by the Swedish Space Agency (SSC) via YouTube.