Together to the stars

A student team developing rockets, avionics and technology for the next generation of Czech space research.

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News

2026-09-14

FlyOut 2026: odhalili jsme raketu Andromeda 2

Prostory planetária se návštěvníkům a sponzorům otevřely již v 9:30. Ještě před hlavní prezentací byly v prostorách k vidění starší modely rakety a fotografie promítané na zdech. Osazenstvo se poté začalo přesouvat do kopule s promítací plochou, kde v 10 hodin středoevropského času započala hlavní prezentace. Na úvod bylo na ploše promítnuto majestátní intro v podobě animace, která naplno využila možnosti nedávno modernizovaného planetária. Poté již přišel na řadu moderátor Michael Jurča, který všechny přítomné náležitě přivítal a mohlo se pomalu přejít k samotnému odhalení Andromedy 2.

CTU Space Research at European Rocketry Challenge 2025: the Andromeda rocket placed 3rd in its category

Press release

2025-10-01

CTU Space Research at European Rocketry Challenge 2025: the Andromeda rocket placed 3rd in its category

The CTU Space Research team from CTU Prague took part in the prestigious European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) competition in the town of Constância in October 2025. The students presented their biggest project yet — the Andromeda rocket, powered by the Perseus hybrid engine (thrust > 3 kN), aiming to reach an altitude of 3 km.

Press release

2025-09-08

We unveiled our new rocket, Andromeda

Andromeda was developed at CTU Prague with the support of academic and industry partners and other donors. Its goal is to reach an altitude of 3 km. Propulsion is provided by the new Perseus hybrid engine with 3 kN of thrust, developed in-house by CTU Space Research members. On September 8, 2025, it was christened at the Prague Planetarium by Ondřej Rohlík, the Czech Republic's envoy to ESA from the Czech Ministry of Transport.

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Who we are

We are the official student initiative at CTU Prague, developing rockets, avionics and propulsion systems since 2021. More than 70 students from five different faculties across universities join forces here to work on avionics, propulsion systems and structural design.

Our primary goal is representing the university at the international European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC). We also regularly compete in other events such as the Czech Rocket Challenge (CRC), and pursue research and development that goes beyond a typical student project.

For us, rocket engineering is as much about people as it is about technology. Our mission doesn't end at the launch pad — we promote science and technology, share our know-how, and try to get the next generation of engineers excited about rocketry. We're a non-profit project, supported by partners from industry and academia, that shows students can build complex machines capable of reaching the edge of space.

70+

Active members

Students from CTU and other universities.

3.

Place at EuRoC 2025

The prestigious international European Rocketry Challenge.

3+

Rockets developed

From test platforms to full competition rockets.

3,000 m

Target altitude

Projected apogee of our competition rockets at EuRoC.

Competition rocket (EuRoC)

Andromeda

Our biggest rocket to date and Illustria's successor. Andromeda competed at the European Rocketry Challenge 2025 in Constância, Portugal, where — despite a technical issue on the pad — it placed 3rd in its category. It's powered by our in-house hybrid engine Perseus, holds its target altitude with a deployable aerobraking system, and returns to the ground on a two-stage parachute recovery system.

Length 4.1 m
Engine Perseus (hybrid, >3 kN)
Mass 30.6 kg (wet)
Target apogee 3 km

Completed project

Illustria

Our first in-house rocket and Andromeda's predecessor. Illustria launched successfully twice from Bezno airfield near Mladá Boleslav (May and August 2024) on the solid-fuel Medusa motor. The team went on to develop and test a hybrid successor engine, Phoenix, but persistent problems with the main propellant valve led to the project being retired at the end of 2024 in favour of Andromeda.

Engine Medusa (solid fuel)
Best apogee reached 946 m
Launches 2 (2024)
Status Retired

Test rocket family

Vanguard

A family of small test rockets the team uses to prove out new technologies before they fly on the big rockets — things like active flight control and new radio communication. The airframe combines wound and laminated composites with 3D-printed parts.

Engine Kerberos (solid fuel)
Target apogee 1 km
Materials Composite + 3D print

Stratospheric balloon flight

Stratosat

A weather balloon carrying a camera and our own avionics, used to gain experience with high-altitude recovery and telemetry outside the world of rocket engines.

Altitude reached 32,600 m
Drift distance 150 km
Minimum temperature less than −55 °C

Avionics & Software

Cimrman

Our in-house flight computer, now in its 4th generation. The current Cimrman PX4 flies on Andromeda — reading sensor data, tracking the rocket's position and deciding when to fire the parachutes. Modular connectors let it scale from small test rockets up to the team's flagship builds.