Past Achievements

Aspirespace has already achieved several significant milestones, from breaking the altitude record for a British amateur rocket with Aspire 1 in 1992 to the successful testing of the powerful H20 LOX/HDPE hybrid rocket engine.

The major events from the beginning to the present day are outlined below:

• February 1991: Aspire 1 conceived by students from the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cambridge and Kent.
• July 1992: Aspire 1 successfully launched to an altitude of 3.5km (11,000 feet), breaking the then altitude record for a British amateur rocket.
• Aspire 2, a reusable rocket vehicle powered by a new hybrid engine and capable of launching 10kg of payload to an altitude of 100km, was conceived.
• Summer 1994: Aspirespace founded to realise the dream of building and launching Aspire 2.
• Aspirespace Development Vehicle (ADV) 1 tested.
• Aspirespace Sounding Rocket Vehicle (ASRV) 1 launched to ~2km altitude, with on-board video camera.
• ASRV 2 launched to ~3km altitude.
• H2 hybrid rocket engine completed and test firings commenced.
• Aspirespace organises the first UK amateur rocketry workshop in Bristol.
• Test firings of the H20 cryogenic hybrid engine commence.
• Two 'FLARE' H2-powered vehicles launched.
• ADV2a launched.
• First ADV2c launched.
• Aspirespace commissions a new hybrid test stand by testing an advanced 3D-printed fuel grain.
• Aspirespace commissions a new bipropellant test stand.