News

What are we up to at SunrIde IV?

5 April 2021

In 2019, SunrIde broke the National Open Altitude record reaching 36,274 ft. This achievement made headline news across national and international platforms. We are currently considered the leading UK rocketry team and will be the first to reach space.

SunrIde Project teams currently consist of more than 50 hardworking engineering students ranging from undergraduates to PhD, from Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. We are currently building 3 high-power rockets (Solid, Hybrid, Liquid rocket motors). 

SunrIde is composed of 3 main projects which go by the names VESNA, SS2S and SunFire. VESNA and SS2S are both rocket design projects and SunFire is a rocket engine design process made specifically for the SS2S project .

In addition to the SunrIde Project, we started a society to share our knowledge through the SunrIde Training Program (currently occupying 100+ students). The programme entails two to three weekly rocketry workshops and lectures delivered through Blackboard Collaborate given by experienced members of the team, experts and other partnering associations.

SunrIde is looking for the security that enables us to run all of our programs to their full potential. We want to spotlight our University and its students to the world and demonstrate that we are continuing to push boundaries.

Current endeavours

SunrIde’s scheduled launches for the Summer of 2021 are: 


Rocket SunrIde Jr. Jr. (UKSEDS)

A starter-level mid-power rocket (5,000 ft) for the UK National Rocketry Championship organised by UKSEDS. This acts as an introduction to rocket production; it is heavily supported by the education plan of the Sunride Training Programme.

Rocket Vesna

A high-power solid rocket targeting 30,000 ft. This rocket improves on its award-winning predecessors; Rockets Amy and Helen. 

Originally set to launch at Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, but now cancelled due to Covid-19. Therefore, the team is now organising a launch in Scotland to 10,000ft according to CAA requirements in March 2021, and again to 30,000ft to achieve the original goal upon the approval to launch to that altitude. We will also launch Vesna in the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) in Portugal.

We have chosen to reuse the aft body of our 2019 rocket; Helen, for the structural rigidity and optimal aerodynamic performance it demonstrated. Project SunSat of the SSI is providing us with a 10cm 2.5U cubeSat to be ejected from Vesna. 

We are building a wider forebody that fits the cubeSat and can safely withstand the forces acting on the rocket. It will also be able to mechanically eject the payload and drogue chutes at apogee, without the use of pyrotechnics. 

Rocket Karman Alpha; Engine Sunfire (SS2S: Students Shot 2 Space)

A 12-dissertation-level high-power liquid fuelled rocket to reach over 10,000 ft. 

Project SunFire is a dissertation level project aimed towards students with final year projects, to create a bipropellant liquid rocket engine that will be used to power the rocket Karman Alpha; the first iteration of the SS2S project. 

The payload will be made by SSI project SunStratos, which is a foldable glider.

Sunride Training Program

At the start of the 2020/21 academic year, the Sunride Project launched the Sunride Training Programme. This aims to be an openly accessible series of lectures that teaches anyone who is interested in how to build rockets. 

So far, we have produced 19 core lectures totalling over 40 hours of student run training sessions. These have covered rocket theory, Fusion 360 design, CFD, FEA, manufacturing and avionics. We have also hosted guest lectures from industry professionals.