EuRoC'23 - ANACOM prize awarded to a team from Politecnico di Torino

The 4th edition of the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) https://euroc.pt/, a European rocket launch competition for university students organised by the Portuguese Space Agency https://ptspace.pt/pt/home/which took place in Constância over the last week (10 to 16 October), and which this year was again sponsored by ANACOM, ended on 16 October 2023.

The Aerospace Team Graz https://astg.at/, a team comprised of university students from Austria, was the big winner of this edition of EuRoC, having obtained the best score in the various assessment parameters to which the rocket launches are subject, including reaching the target altitude (between 3,000 and 9,000 metres).

The Polito Rocket Team https://www.politorocketteam.it/, a team from the Politecnico di Torino (Italy), won ANACOM's "Best Telemetry Spectral Signature" award, which honours the team with the best telemetry spectral signature. With the project Canvour https://www.politorocketteam.it/projects/Cavour, the Polito team was, of all teams, the one that used the spectrum most efficiently, that is, that used less spectrum for less time, thus allowing other teams to use that same spectrum. These results were calculated by ANACOM's technical team, comprised of four members of the General Supervision Directorate, who took measurements during the launches of all the teams at the Santa Margarida Military Camp.

During the event, ANACOM was also represented by Board member Manuel Cabugueira and by Fernando Guerra, Head of the Space Mission Unit, and had an exhibition stand set up in the paddock, located in the Constância Sports Pavilion, were members of the ANACOM team provided information to the participants on:

• the frequency bands they would use (free frequency bands that did not require prior licensing), the spectrum supervision activity and its importance;
• and ANACOM's role as Space Authorityhttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1473910.

EuRoC aims to promote the development of scientific and educational skills by challenging students to launch their rockets. This year it received a record 48 applications, from which 25 teams were selected to launch their rockets. The competition presents numerous challenges with high technical standards and safety parameters that have to be taken into account, which inevitably leads to dropouts. Of the 19 teams (2 of them Portuguese teams) that were in Constância, 13 managed to launch their rockets between 12 and 15 October at the Santa Margarida Military Camp. The event involved around 500 students from 14 different countries with a wide range of academic backgrounds.

See some moments from EuRoC'23https://online.fliphtml5.com/rchw/gvgz/

Photo credit: Portuguese Space Agency/Atelier Obscura