Our Mission
Ignite British rocketry.
endeavour was started to challenge the stasis in British rocketry development and to provide applied experience in aeronautics and space technologies here at the University of Edinburgh.
With around 70 members to date, we’re a highly ambitious group of talented students working on different projects relating to high powered rocketry, liquid engine research and outreach programs to show the world that the space industry here can be much, much more.
Whether you’re an experienced industry professional, space enthusiast or a student looking to get involved in the next big thing, have a look around, get in touch and see how you can join in our goals to ignite British rocketry with endeavour!
Neil Buchanan
Team Lead, Founder
Everything starts with students.
Student teams are capable of incredible things and given the right time, place and support. We plan to show the incredible results and outcomes that are created with a group of young people who aren’t paid for their work, but do it out of passion for an idea and love of the technology and team they’re working with.
We find ourselves at a time of renewed interest and belief in space technologies and rocketry in the world. Though our country has not faired well on the latter, Scotland is leading the way of recent years with the space sector significantly on the up.
Additionally there have been several key developments in recent years that show now more than ever before, the need for launch vehicles in this country is only increasing:
- UK goal of 10% of global space market by 2030
- Spaceports being planned in Sutherland, Scotland and Cornwall, England
- A new generation of inspired students by industry leaders such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab
- Climate change research and earth monitoring more pressing than ever
- A renewed desire to explore space and beyond
It's evident, then, that there’s a significant opportunity for education, innovation, and investment at a grassroots level here at the University of Edinburgh, perfectly placed and poised to make a large contribution to the space sciences in this country and beyond for years to come.
A Brief History
1969
LOST POTENTIAL
Black Arrow, the first and only British launch vehicle to bring a payload to Low Earth Orbit, was launched successfully for the first time in Woomera, Australia.
A far cry away from what was being achieved in the global space race at the time, the Black Arrow rocket took the research satellite Prospero to orbit in its only fully successful launch.
Soon after it was scrapped for cost reasons and since then it has stood as a memorial for what could have been if investment had continued.
1985-2010
POLITICS AND BUDGETS
The British National Space Centre was formed to coordinate Britains space activities albeit with a policy against human spaceflight.
While being a major contributor to the budget of the European Space Agency, the UK opted not to contribute to the construction of the International Space Station with the most notable achievement in this time frame being the landing of the Beagle 2 Mars rover in 2003.
2010
A CHANGE IN POSITION
With an increased ambition for taking the value of the UK’s space industry from £9 billion to £40 billion by 2030, the UK space industry is picking up pace.
With increased collaboration with ESA, it becomes clearer that greater things are on the horizon at long last for those who dream bigger.
2016 - Present
NEW POSSIBILITIES
With a British Astronaut as the first UK backed ESA astronaut on the space station and companies starting up in the UK to pick up where Black Arrow left off, there has been a real change in the tides for how the space industry is viewed in this country.
Now we’d like to contribute to the next steps.
Our Goals
2020
First and foremost, we want to prove that we can build a rocket that is technical, polished and beautiful. We will demonstrate this at the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico in June 2020. It will carry a 4 kg payload to 10,000 feet using air braking and will be recovered as three separate parts.
2021
A separate team within endeavour initiates research into control systems and advanced techniques such as thrust vectoring, potentially amalgamating this research into a project that looks at developing a reusuable “hopper” lander.
2024
First hot fire of the Maxwell liquid bi-propellant engine, showing that endeavour and Edinburgh will be a centre for rocketry development.
2030
With some experience developing rockets under our belt, we want to keep progressing forward. The next major challenge is to integrate our Maxwell engine and tackle the many challenges it brings. Our liquid engine could launch our rocket to an altitude upwards of 50 km.
2040
Our long-term ambition is to reach low Earth orbit. This will require a liquid motor, and advanced understanding of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and nozzle manufacturing techniques. At this altitude, we can deploy CubeSats, free to orbit the earth. Of course, these estimates are approximate since we are looking into the distant future but we believe we have necessary the enthusiasm and ability.
