Durham University Spaceflight announce new UK altitude record for amateur rocketry

This September, members of Durham University Spaceflight (DUSF) travelled to the Mojave Desert, California, for the launch of Rosemary 3, our latest high-power rocket. Reaching an altitude of 12.3 km and a top speed of Mach 2.5, Rosemary 3 set a new UK Open Altitude Record for amateur rocketry — breaking the record previously held by our own rocket: Rosemary 2B.

Rosemary 3 features a 54 mm sub-minimum diameter airframe powered by a Loki M1378 motor – total impulse of 5,363.0 Ns. Weighing 5.9 kg, the rocket uses a single separation, dual-deploy recovery system, and includes a custom-machined single-piece metal fin can for strength at high speeds. The nosecone was resin-infused with Kevlar and fibreglass, combining low weight with high durability — a design built to withstand the harsh conditions of supersonic flight.

The journey to launch day was far from easy. Torrential rain caused flash floods across the desert as we arrived, turning what should have been a short drive into a 28-hour challenge involving off-roading, bridge-building, and digging vehicles out of the mud. With the support of the launch site organisers, the team made it within three miles of the site and hiked the rest of the way which made Rosemary 3’s successful flight all the more rewarding.

Find out more about Durham University Spaceflight here