First launch of the student rocket Illustria and the Medusa engine
On May 5, 2024, the Illustria rocket had its first successful launch. The rocket was designed by students from the CTU Space Research team at CTU Prague. The launch took place at the Bezno airfield near Mladá Boleslav.
Today marked the first successful launch of the Illustria rocket, built by the CTU Space Research student team.
After long months of preparation and testing, the team was ready for the first test flight. Following the morning briefing and preparation of the launch rail and rocket, all team members moved to a safe distance of roughly 300 m from the launch site, into the control centre. By around 1 PM everything was ready and the order to launch was given.
Unfortunately, ignition did not occur after the first countdown. After three more failed attempts and five minutes elapsed, the team's pyrotechnics specialist approached the rocket and found a fault in the igniter. After a quick replacement and clearing the safety zone, the team proceeded with a second launch attempt.
The second attempt went off without a hitch and Illustria lifted into the air. After reaching an altitude of 873 m, the nose cone separated and the drogue parachute deployed. Unfortunately, the main parachute failed to open during descent. Even the small drogue chute, however, was enough for a safe descent, and the rocket touched down intact.
Besides the flight itself, the team also tested the audiovisual equipment used for video documentation of the event and its online broadcast. We gained important insights for upcoming competitions.
The flight exceeded expectations and is a major success for the whole team. Special thanks go to CTU Prague and to all our partners, without whom this test flight would not have been possible.
Together to the stars!