A team of Wiltshire schoolchildren has showcased the UK’s future engineering talent by securing second place at the 2026 International Youth Rocketry Championship.
The students, from Abbeyfield School in Chippenham, represented the UK in the competition at the Farnborough International Airshow after beating 126 schools and youth clubs to win the national UK Rocketry Challenge (UKROC) earlier this year. They finished runners-up to Interlake High School from the United States in the international final.
The championship formed part of Farnborough International Airshow’s Pioneers of Tomorrow programme, which is dedicated to inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through a series of educational events and activities. The competition challenged teams to design, build and launch a model rocket capable of safely carrying a fragile payload – a raw egg – while meeting strict flight criteria.
Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS, praised the team’s achievement and highlighted the importance of initiatives that encourage future engineering talent.
“Congratulations to Abbeyfield School for their remarkable efforts, a testament to the UK’s young engineering talent,” he said.
“The UK Rocketry Challenge and its international counterpart are powerful examples of how our sectors are inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. Farnborough International Airshow’s Pioneers of Tomorrow programme has provided the perfect stage to celebrate the creativity, innovation and technical skills demonstrated by these students, and we look forward to seeing how they will help shape the future of our industries.”
Kata Escott, managing director of Airbus Defence and Space and ADS vice president for Space, also congratulated the competitors.
“Huge congratulations to Abbeyfield School for their impressive effort – and to all the students that took part in this year’s fiercely contested international final,” she said.
“We are proud to support initiatives that inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists, helping young people discover just how exciting and rewarding a career in the space sector can be.”
The UK Rocketry Challenge and the UK’s participation in the international final are organised by ADS, the trade association for the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, with support from industry partners Airbus, Frankenburg Technologies and Saab UK.
For more articles like this, visit our Skills channel
