Reusable Solid-Fuel Rocket Launch + CAD Design
Design a reusable solid-propellant rocket capable of reaching at least 100 metres, autonomously recovering, landing precisely and demonstrating suitability for reuse.
- Eligibility
- College and university students
- Date
- 5 October 2026
- Location
- Haldwani, Uttarakhand
- Team size
- 1–5 participants per team
- Mode
- On-site launch and design submission
- Registration fee
- ₹2,500
About
The Reusable Solid-Propellant Rocket Challenge is a college-level aerospace engineering competition focused on powered ascent, verified apogee, autonomous recovery, controlled descent, precision landing and post-flight reuse.
The challenge
Can you launch a rocket—and make it fly again? Teams must complete the mission sequence Powered Ascent → Verified Apogee → Autonomous Recovery → Controlled Descent → Precision Landing → Safe Recovery → Reuse.
What you need to do
Design a reusable rocket capable of achieving a minimum verified apogee of 100 metres, maintaining stability, executing autonomous recovery, landing accurately, surviving the flight and passing post-flight inspection for another approved preparation cycle.
How you are evaluated
- Recovery and landing safety
- Mission completion and altitude
- Reusability
- Flight stability
- Landing accuracy
- Engineering and design
- Technical documentation
Technical specifications
| Minimum verified apogee | ≥ 100 m |
|---|---|
| Recommended overall length | 0.9–1.5 m |
| Recommended airframe diameter | 100–150 mm |
| Autonomous recovery | Mandatory |
| Propulsion | Approved non-explosive, non-hazardous solid-propellant system |
| Structural materials | Fiberglass, carbon-fibre composite, PVC, cardboard/kraft structures or engineering-grade 3D-printed plastics |
| Metal use | Not permitted in fuselage, nose cone or fins except approved internal hardware where applicable |
| Reusability levels | R0, R1, R2 and R3 |
| Avionics | Required mission avionics and tracking configuration |
Key rules and safety
- Solid-fuel propulsion may only be used when non-explosive, non-hazardous and approved by the Organizing/Technical Committee.
- Only declared, inspected and approved propulsion units and operating procedures may be used.
- Required propulsion materials and relevant documentation must be submitted for prior review and approval.
- Explosives, unsafe improvised propulsion and unapproved hazardous propulsion assistance are prohibited.
- Autonomous recovery is mandatory.
- Recovery deployment must not depend on participant manual initiation after launch.
- The rocket must pass technical and safety inspection before entering the launch area.
- Launches must occur only at an approved range suitable for the vehicle class and flight envelope.
- Participant-provided launchers must be structurally stable, compatible and approved.
- No participant may approach an unsafe or suspected vehicle unless directed by authorized safety personnel.
- Emergency access routes must remain unobstructed.
- Launches may be postponed or stopped because of unsafe weather, poor visibility, high winds, lightning or unsafe recovery conditions.
- The Range Safety Officer has final authority over launch safety.
- Modifying the rocket after inspection without approval may result in disqualification.
This is a summary. The official guidelines document is the binding version and takes precedence in all cases.