Announcing: N2ORTH-3

We’re launching another N2ORTH rocket: N2ORTH-3!

For the first N2ORTH launch campaign, HyEnD has built two complete rockets, one of which set the new student built hybrid-rocket altitude record, reaching an apogee of 64.4 km. However, the team also manufactured spare components of key elements like the oxidizer tank, a spare engine and several valves. With these components in store, the idea emerged to build a third rocket and attempt again what the second rocket was set out to achieve: becoming the first European student team to reach space and the first worldwide to do so with a hybrid rocket.

Thus, the N2ORTH-3 project came to life, running in parallel to HyEnD’s main project, BLAST.

Over the past two years, post-flight analysis of the two flights was conducted, new structural components were manufactured, old parts reinforced. Recovery hardware was redesigned, manufactured and tested, a new flight computer designed and the GSE reworked.

Now, in November 2025, the rocket is nearing completion and has already passed several test integrations. We are getting ready for our next big launch and a new attempt to write history.

Here are the changes to the N2ORTH rocket’s original design:

Recovery

The first N2ORTH rocket demonstrated that even with a non-nominal recovery sequence, the airframe and onboard data was able to survive a tumbling fall from 36 km. For N2ORTH-3, the goal is to replicate this descent mode.

The two-stage recovery system was replaced by a single-stage supersonic drogue chute which was fully designed and manufactured in-house.

The chute is designed to match the drag of the fins to bring the rocket down in a horizontal orientation, reducing impact loads and enabling recovery. Due to the lighter and more compact design, the chute ejection was changed to a top-mounted mortar design.

Overall the changes to the recovery system greatly reduce complexity, reduce the rockets length by 0.8 m and the dry mass by 8 kg. Removing the sideways recovery bay also eliminates one of the main structural weaknesses.

Structures

Like on the first rockets, the central structural component is the oxidizer tank. N2ORTH-3  uses a spare Type-III COPV from the first N2ORTH campaign. It is an integral structural tank, including structural connectors for the fin can and nosecone sections, a cable raceway for electronic communications, and thermal protection.

One of the main improvements of the structural integrity of N2ORTH-3 in comparison to its predecessors, is the  increased wall thickness of the structural connectors. Using an additional reinforcement tube and additional carbon fiber laminate, the reserve factor against expected aerodynamic flight loads is doubled in comparison to N2ORTH-1 and N2ORTH-2.

Through redesigns and improvements of our winding machine and winding software TANIQWind Pro, we were able to produce a fin can section for N2ORTH-3 with only 20% higher structural mass and similarly double reserve factor against aerodynamic loads in comparison to N2ORTH-1 and N2ORTH-2. This was achieved through shallower winding angles enabled through new fiber tensioning mechanisms and adapted layer buildup.

Avionics

A new nosecone accommodates the updated avionics and the revised top-mounted recovery system.

A new flight computer S2OUTH developed by WüSpace provides telemetry, video transmission, and an upgraded blackbox designed to preserve data even after hard landings.

Propulsion

Propulsion is provided by the spare HyLIGHT hybrid engine from the first campaign, with thrust performance in the 15 kN class.

Propellant storability has been validated through long-term sample retention.

A new thrust connection was manually machined, where improved cutout shapes were implemented and verified in simulations, reducing structural mass by 400 g.

Fluid System

The main valve remains unchanged and uses the spare from the first campaign, after a series of verification tests. The vent valve has been replaced with a solenoid valve.

Ground Support Equipment (GSE)

The GSE was completely redesigned for Project BLAST. The team conducted the design with compatibility for N2ORTH fueling built in, enabling the same proven loading procedure used in earlier flights.

Overview

Total length7 m
Dry mass79 kg
Mission target>100 km altitude
ObjectiveBecome the first European student team to reach space, and the first worldwide to do so using a hybrid rocket!

The vehicle is nearing completion and will be fully presented before launch. Launch opportunities and possible locations for 2026 are currently under evaluation.

To stay up to date with the upcoming N2ORTH-3 campaign and our other projects, follow our social media!

We Placed First in the Liquid Category at EuRoC…

From October 9th to October 15th, the HyEnD team participated in the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC). We launched our liquid rocket Lumina to about 2.9 km, recovered the rocket in near-perfect condition and won the liquid 3 km flight award! In the overall rankings, we placed second. A great first launch for project BLAST!

Let’s start from the beginning. On October 8th, most of our team arrived in Porto, Portugal, by plane, marking the official start of our on-site campaign. While flying is certainly the fastest way to cross Europe, it quickly leads to an obvious question: how do you transport a rocket on a commercial aircraft?

The answer is simple — you don’t. Instead, two dedicated teams took on the responsibility of driving all the way to Portugal. Their mission was critical: transporting all essential equipment and tools required for the launch campaign. From technical hardware and support equipment to the unmistakably oversized launch rail, their vehicles carried everything that could not be squeezed into standard luggage allowances.

After several long days on the road, countless kilometers, and an impressive level of endurance, both teams arrived safely with all equipment intact. Thanks to their commitment and logistical effort, we were fully prepared to begin setting up operations and focus on what truly mattered: getting our rocket ready for launch.

After all team members and vehicles had arrived at the competition site, setup operations started immediately. The first priority was organizing the paddock area, which served as the team’s central workspace throughout the campaign.

As is often the case with large engineering projects, the final preparations were completed just in time. Even on the last day, small adjustments were still being made to our Lumina rocket. While one part of the team focused on final rocket preparations, other members assembled the launch rail at the launch site and set up the ground support equipment.

In parallel, the ground electronics and fluid systems required for fueling, charging, and launching the rocket were installed and tested to ensure full operational readiness.

The following day, we conducted our Test Readiness Review (TRR). This review is a mandatory step to ensure both launch safety and full compliance with the competition regulations. Although a few compliance issues were identified during the first attempt, the team was able to resolve them quickly. As a result, we successfully passed the review on our second attempt. This marked an important milestone and brought us one step closer to the culmination of a year’s worth of development and preparation.

On the next day, the team arrived at the launch site before 8 a.m. to begin rocket assembly and final launch preparations. Despite having passed the Launch Readiness Review (LRR), unexpected issues occurred during system integration at the pad. As these problems could not be fully resolved within the assigned launch window, the team made the decision to postpone the launch for that day in order to avoid unnecessary risks. However this meant that the next day we had to launch – as this was the last day of the EuRoC 2026.

We tried to launch in the first launch window of the day. The rocket was on the pad and everything was going according to plan. As one of the last steps of the launch preparation we started fueling the rocket.

Since nitrous oxide (N₂O) partially vaporizes at higher temperatures, a controlled venting procedure was required in order to maximize the amount of liquid oxidizer in the tank. However, during the first venting operation, an unexpected event occurred: the parachute system was triggered and the drogue chute deployed. This in return meant that we missed the first launch window

Subsequent analysis indicated that vented nitrous oxide entered the rocket structure, causing a pressure increase inside the avionics bay. Because the flight computer determines apogee using barometric pressure measurements, this sudden pressure variation was interpreted as a rapid altitude decrease, which unintentionally triggered the deployment logic.

Since it was the last launch day, time was running low. After making sure all gases would vent to the outside of the rocket and re-packaging the parachute, we were back on the launch pad during the last launch window.

Once again, the fueling procedure for the rocket was initiated. However, not everything went according to plan. During venting, not only the pressure but also the temperature decreased, causing the vent valve to freeze in the open position. Fortunately, ambient temperatures in Portugal in mid-October were high enough for the valve to thaw after a short time, allowing the fueling process to continue. By shortening the venting intervals, the cooling effect was reduced and the rocket could be successfully pressurized to its nominal operating pressure.

Now it was time for launch. The next few seconds would show if every system works as expected. lthough every subsystem had been tested multiple times, a degree of uncertainty always remains in the moments leading up to liftoff.

The countdown began at 15 seconds. Everybody was focused on the launch rail in the distance to not miss anything, while closely monitoring the official communication channels.

Then liftoff!

The rocket left the launch rail at a velocity of 30.5 m/s and reached an apogee of 2.9 km, achieving a maximum speed of Mach 0.74. However, reaching altitude is only one part of a successful mission. The second half depends on the seamless interaction of the avionics, recovery, and structural subsystems throughout the rocket’s design and operation.

Would the flight computer trigger parachute deployment at the correct moment? Would the recovery bay open reliably to allow chute extraction? And ultimately – would the parachutes deploy as intended?

Everybody is searching the sky trying to find the rocket and hopefully see a successfully deployed drogue chute. The launch itself was already a success, however if the chute does not open the rocket will follow a ballistic trajectory and will most probably destroyed on impact. In that case most of our recorded flight data would be lost permanently.

But not this time. Both drogue and main chute deployed at the correct altitude. The rocket descended slowly, drifting downrange.

After the launch window closes, it’s time to recover Lumina. After a nominal touchdown at 7 m/s, the rocket is in one piece and still pretty as ever, albeit with a few scratches. Great work, recovery team!

The next day, we get the reward for all our worries and effort: a trophy for the best liquid 3 km flight and second place in the overall ranking!

Want to watch the launch? For now, you can only rewatch the EuRoC stream. But our EuRoC 2025 aftermovie is comming soon.

First Results of the N₂ORTH Post Flight Analysis

Since our N2ORTH Launch Campaign in April, some time has passed, and the team took a well-deserved break. Nevertheless, we had our Post Flight Analysis Review in Bonn at the beginning of June, and we want to share some of the results with you.

Analysis of the 1st Launch:

The first launch took place on Tuesday, April 18. Originally scheduled for Monday, the launch was postponed to Tuesday in order to double check the avionics and launcher interfaces.

The countdown began at 06:15 and went very smoothly. There was a short pause to complete the transfer of nitrous oxide from the intermediate tanks to the rocket tank. This delay was caused by the fact that the boxing of the rocket itself was less insulated than expected. To compensate, the nitrous oxide in the intermediate tanks was heated to a higher temperature. The final oxidizer mass in the rocket was 95 kg and the launch elevation was set at 81.4°.

The launch at 11:05 local time went smoothly without any problems. The rocket reached a maximum speed of Mach 3 / 3,150 km/h after about 20 seconds. The engine provided thrust for about 75 seconds, with a transition to the gas phase after 18 seconds. This data was obtained from the IMU as the lower data acquisition system suffered a cable disconnect at liftoff. This means there is no tank and chamber pressure data for the flight. However, the upper data acquisition system continued to operate and a maximum tip temperature of 240°C was reached.

Apogee was reached at an altitude of 64.4 km after 132 s. This was only a 0.2% difference to the predicted apogee by the simulation.  However, the drogue parachute deployment was triggered 9 s earlier by the Telemegas. The drogue deployed without problems at Mach 0.9-1. However, reviewing the onboard video, it can be seen that the main parachute’s three-ring release system was already activated. Up to this point, the main chute was still held in place by two straps in the recovery section, as the drag generated by the drogue was not sufficient to pull it out. However, during the descent the drag increased until the main parachute was released at an altitude of 36 km and a speed of Mach 1.8. Since the main parachute is not designed for these conditions, it was immediately detached from the rocket together with the drogue parachute.

The rocket then went into a tumble mode with a high spin rate, which helped to keep the descent rate relatively low. The avionics were able to continue transmitting the position up to an altitude of 1.3 km. At this point, the line of sight prevented further data transmission. Thanks to the precise position (downrange: 48 km), the rocket was easily located and recovered by helicopter only 3 hours after launch.

A review of the onboard data showed that the rocket landed at a vertical speed of 36 m/s. The avionics were internally damaged due to the non-nominal recovery sequence and landing speed, but all data could be recovered. Also, the recovery section and one of the fins suffered some structural damage.

The reason for the non-nominal recovery sequence was found during investigations on the following day and was traced to a misconfiguration in the Telemega software. As the cause was quickly found, HyEnD was able to ensure that the second launch would not have the same problem and continued preparations for the second launch.

Analysis of the 2nd Launch:

Having demonstrated with the first launch that our simulations are capable of predicting the rocket’s trajectory with high accuracy, and having quickly identified the cause of the non-nominal recovery sequence, the team decided to continue preparations for the launch of the second rocket.

Unlike the first rocket, the second N2ORTH rocket has a linerless Type V pressure vessel with an ETFE coating on the inside to ensure compatibility with nitrous oxide. The elimination of the aluminum liner reduces the dry mass of the rocket by 7.7 kg (10%). In addition, the Esrange safety and operations team approved an increase in the launch rail elevation. It was decided to target an oxidizer mass of 105 kg for the second rocket, which would result in a >90% chance of reaching an altitude of more than 100 km and thus the Kármán line. A higher oxidizer mass would have been technically possible, but would have resulted in the rocket landing outside the designated landing zone.

The launch attempt took place on Monday, April 24. The Styrofoam box of the rocket was improved in order that the launch team could easily control the temperature and keep it within the desired range. However, during the oxidizer loading process, the solenoid valve in the rocket could not be activated. It was decided to continue the countdown with an adjusted oxidizer loading procedure. With the modified procedure, the target oxidizer mass, temperature, and pressure were achieved with another short countdown pause.  However, the nitrogen content of the oxidizer tank filling was higher than originally simulated.

At 14:10 local time, the rocket launched with an elevation of 82.2°. Unfortunately, the rocket encountered an anomaly that caused it to break up 22.4 seconds after liftoff. At this point, the rocket was at an altitude of 11 km, traveling at Mach 3, and still in sight of the team members and cameras on the radar hill. Due to the anomaly, the rocket disintegrated into several pieces. The avionics were able to send data to the ground station until this point. The timing of the anomaly is interesting because both the transition from liquid to gaseous nitrous oxide and the maximum dynamic pressure occur at this time.

One of the cameras mounted on a theodolite was able to follow the oxidizer tank until it hit the ground. The video and azimuth information allowed the Esrange team to retrieve the tank by snowmobile the next day. The tank and its attached fluid system components were undamaged except for the broken interfaces at both ends. Fortunately, the Rocket Status Measurement System (RSMS) SD card attached to the oxidizer tank was still intact, giving the team access to high frequency (14 kS/s) chamber pressure data.

A review of the cameras on the launcher revealed that the oxidizer release valve was opened at launch, resulting in a slow (<100 g/s) release of liquid nitrous oxide to the side of the rocket. Inspection of the valve (which was still attached to the recovered oxidizer tank) revealed that the pyro charge within the valve was not activated, indicating that the opening was triggered by a shock load at launch. The influence of the vented nitrous oxide on the rockets aerodynamics is still under investigation.

Chamber pressure data shows no indication of engine malfunction until a loss of chamber pressure occurs at 22.4 s, which is associated with the breakup of the rocket. The IMU data shows a continuous increase in lateral acceleration from 0 to 2.5 g beginning at 20 s, with a rapid increase to more than 15 g at break-up. Since the later acceleration begins to increase to a point where the combustion chamber pressure is nominal, a failure of the propulsion system is unlikely. The IMU data also shows a low spin rate of less than 0.52 Hz and no evidence of pitch-roll coupling.

Based on the available data, the final cause of the failure cannot be clearly identified. However, the possibility remains that other components of the rocket will be found by the SSC team in the future. At this point, it can be concluded that the breakup of the rocket was the result of either a structural failure during launch, an unexpected aerodynamic load on the rocket, or a combination of both effects.

Nevertheless, HyEnD is very proud of what has been achieved with the launch campaign – setting new records and pushing the limits of (student) hybrid propulsion. The two weeks in Sweden were an amazing time – thanks to a great team, good logistics and organization as well as the cooperation with DLR and SSC.

Watch the Record Flight Video!

64 km altitude – A new world record for student-built hybrid rockets and for European student-built rockets in general! We are very happy and proud that we have almost doubled the existing record that we set with our HEROS 3 rocket in 2016. This achievement is the result of almost four years of hard work and dedication by our team. With N2ORTH, HyEnD has shown what students can achieve when they work together towards an ambitious goal. We are grateful for the support we received along the way – especially the funding from the DLR STERN program. Without it, this project would not have been possible. We hope you enjoy the videos of the record flight as much as we do. Stay tuned for more footage, including the full on-board videos, in the coming weeks and months.

Mission Success: New Record for Student-built Hybrids

On Tuesday 18th April 2023 at 11:05 local time, HyEnD successfully launched its first N2ORTH rocket from the European Space and Sounding Rocket Range ESRANGE in Sweden.

The countdown started at 06:15 and went very smoothly. There was a short hold to finish filling the nitrous oxide from the intermediate tanks to the rocket tank, but otherwise there were no delays. With a final oxidizer mass of 95 kg and a launch elevation of 81°, the rocket reached an altitude of more than 64 km after about 2 minutes. This almost doubled the previous altitude record for student-built hybrids. The altitude was measured by GPS and the data will be released in the coming days and weeks.

The drogue parachute was successfully deployed and inflated shortly after reaching apogee. However, there were some issues with the recovery sequence that need to be investigated. This resulted in an increased landing speed and some damage to structural components, but the team was able to recover the entire rocket by helicopter.

The team is currently analyzing the data and preparing for the launch of the second N2ORTH rocket early next week. Depending on the weather situation and the results of the investigation, the oxidizer load and launcher elevation will be increased to reach an even higher altitude.

HyEnD would like to take this opportunity to thank the managers and reviewers of the DLR STERN programme as well as the launch and operations crew at ESRANGE. Their support is greatly appreciated, and we are very happy to be working together.

HyEnD’s N₂ORTH Rocket passes Acceptance Review

HyEnD is proud to announce that it has passed its Rocket Acceptance Review (RAR) with experts of the DLR today. The event took place at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) and Materialprüfungsanstalt (MPA) of the University of Stuttgart. The review included detailed discussions about qualification testings, design changes and plans for the launch campaign. Also, the fully assembled rocket was shown for the first time. At the end of March, the components of two complete N₂ORTH rockets will be transported to Esrange in Sweden.

Here are some impressions of the event as well as the assembly of the rocket:

The review and presentation of the rocket was also covered by the German television SWR:

More at www.swr.de (German)

Launch Campaign Announcement

We are proud to announce the date of our launch campaign! From 11th to 25th April this year, 16 HyEnD team members will visit the European Space and Sounding Rocket Range (Esrange) close to Kiruna, Sweden. And we plan to not bring one – but two N2ORTH rockets with us!

The launch of the first N2ORTH rocket is planned with 80° of elevation and with limited propellant mass, in order to ensure a safe downrange and landing area. If all goes according to plan, N2ORTH will reach an altitude of more than 50 km at its first flight and we will get the permission to increase the elevation for the second rocket launch. The launch of the second N2ORTH rocket is currently planned with a higher elevation and increased propellant mass.

As of now, a space shot is not off the table but will also depend on the results of the first launch and weather conditions. We are looking forward to share more details about the launch campaign in the upcoming weeks.

Successful Validation of Thermal Protection System

In order to complete final research concerning thermal loads, HyEnD conducted thermal tests on December 20th, 2022. The thermal tests were a crucial milestone and provided us with valuable insights into the expected in-flight behavior of N2ORTH.

During a test campaign, we tested the nose cone, fins, and 3-ring system of the parachute. The tests were conducted under realistic conditions corresponding to a speed of Mach 2.5, equivalent to the predicted max Q conditions. Thus, with this test, the maximum aerothermal load that we expect during our flight could be tested.

First the fins were tested. Due to the surface standing perpendicular to the flow direction, high heat loads are expected here. During the test, the leading edge of the fins was able to withstand the thermal load expected at max Q for over a minute. This is significantly longer than expected in flight, so we are confident in our design.

Subsequently, the nose cone was tested. We tested not only the structure of the nose cone, but also potential camera recesses. We confirmed that the thermal loads can be safely withstand even at the location of a recess. With this test, we validated for a second time that our thermal protection at the nose cone can withstand the loads with a high degree of reliability.

By testing the 3-ring-system of the recovery, it should be verified whether a premature triggering of the pyro-cutters can occur due to the heat load. It should be mentioned that our recovery system will never be exposed to such thermal stresses during our flight compared to max Q. In order to perform a maximum estimation here as well, the system was also tested at max Q conditions. The thermal tests showed that the cutters are not triggered prematurely by thermal stresses. In a subsequent test in which the cutters were intentionally triggered, it was demonstrated once again that the 3-ring system reliably releases the connection when the cutters are ignited.


Many thanks to the DLR Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen. Due to their support at the M11 test bench and access to the air heater for supersonic tests, we were able to successfully carry out our tests.

Final Propulsion System & Loading Procedure Test of N₂ORTH

HyEnD has successfully conducted its final system test on Thursday, 8th December! The test included the oxidizer loading procedure using the Ground Support Equipment as well as a hot fire with the hybrid engine and rocket’s fluid system components.


During the oxidizer loading procedure, temperatures and pressures were measured across multiple parts of the Ground Support Equipment and 160 L oxidizer tank. We are happy to report that the test showed a high level of precision during the loading procedure, as we were able to precisely set the amount of oxidizer as well as temperature and pressure conditions in the tank.


The hot fire of the propulsion system showed stable and efficient combustion throughout the operation time. With a peak thrust of more than 15 kN and a total impulse of 255 kNs at sea level, we are confident that the propulsion system is capable of pushing N2ORTH to the frontier of space. The in-flight impulse of this configuration will be even higher since effects like flow separation will occur later in the operation time due to lower ambient pressure at higher altitudes. Moreover, the test showed good accordance to the simulation carried out in advance. This is especially important to ensure a safe flight trajectory of the rocket.

A video of the test can be found on YouTube:

As this was our final hot fire within the scope of the STERN 2 project, we would like to thank the DLR Institute of Space Propulsion for their fantastic support during the last years. Since September 2020, more than 60 hot fires were conducted, and we learned a lot! We are now fully focused on the final production and assembly steps and are looking forward to our launch campaign in April 2023.

Recovery System Test successful

Flying up to 16,000 feet and dropping 79 kg from an aircraft: Under these conditions, we were able to perform the first system test of the entire recovery system of our sounding rocket N2ORTH. By evaluating the drop sequence, we could determine whether all components of the two-stage system work nominally in interaction with one another. At the same time, we wanted to investigate the canopy behavior during deployment in subsonic conditions as well as the integrity of all structural components.

Apart from minor design flaws in structural components, the test was completed successfully. Both parachutes withstood the occurring loads and showed a stable descent. The load switch from the drogue the main parachute worked out properly with a nominal main parachute deployment at about 1,000 m above ground. After descending 300 s, the drop test demonstrator landed safely in the designated landing zone of the Heuberg military training area.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners who supported us in the successful realization of this project during the last month. Big thanks to the companies like “LIROS GmbH” (ropes), “Amann & Söhne GmbH & Co. KG” (yarns), “Güth & Wolf GmbH” (aramid bands/harness), “EDELRID GmbH & Co. KG” (shock absorber), “Heathcoat Fabrics Limited” (drogue parachute aramid fabric) and “EVOTEC” (main parachute) for providing materials/components together with technical support.

Furthermore, a special thanks goes to the German Armed Forces and “Skydive Saulgau GmbH“ for the safe conduction of our test.