VES

The second Founding Fathers rocket, named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of Italy.The second rocket of the Founding Fathers series, named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of Italy. Built to fly the Team's own systems.

EUROC 2024 · IREC 2025

2023 – 2025

VES MARK II · IREC 2025 CONFIGURATION

DIAMETER: 134 mm
LENGTH: 3 650 mm
WET MASS: 33.4 kg
MOTOR: AT O5500X
MAX SPEED: Mach 1.8
TARGET APOGEE: 9 000 m

01 – THE NAME

Named after the first King of Italy.

Vittorio Emanuele II was the first King of a united Italy. VES is the second rocket of the Founding Fathers series, after Cavour.

Where Cavour proved the Team could fly, VES was built to fly the Team's own systems: a student-designed flight computer, ground station, ejection recovery and airbrakes.

Vittorio Emanuele II was the first King of a united Italy. Where Cavour proved the Team could fly, VES was built to fly the Team's own systems.

02 – THE DESIGN

Single stage, solid motor, 130 mm airframe.

A 130 mm internal-diameter airframe around a COTS solid motor. Every system that decides the flight, from deployment to drag, is designed and built by the Team.

A 130 mm airframe around a COTS solid motor. Deployment, drag control and flight computer are all designed by the Team.

05Nose coneOgive, compositeOgive, composite
04Recovery baySRAD ejection, drogue + mainSRAD ejection recovery, drogue and main
03Airbrakes baySRAD airbrakes to apogeeSRAD airbrakes, drag control to apogee
02Avionics baySRAD flight computer, ground linkSRAD flight computer, ground-station link
01Motor bayCTI M1790 or AT O5500XCOTS solid motor, CTI M1790 or Aerotech O5500X

BOTTOM TO TOP · 01 → 05

03 – VERSIONS

One airframe, three versions.

The test version flew at ASK 't Harde, Netherlands, with DARE a month before EuRoC 2024. Highlighted column is Mark II, the IREC 2025 version.

VES TEST

TEST LAUNCH · 2024

VES MARK II

IREC 2025 · 9 000 m

VES MARK I

EUROC 2024

DIAMETER134 mm134 mm134 mm

LENGTH3 650 mm3 420 mm

EMPTY MASS21.6 kg21.1 kg

WET MASS23.6 kg33.4 kg25.8 kg

PAYLOADNone2 kg1 kg

MOTORCTI L2375Aerotech O5500XCTI M1790

LIFTOFF T/W10.520.86.1

MAX THRUST2 798 N7 552 N2 022 N

MAX SPEED180 m/s626 m/s259 m/s

TARGET APOGEE1 700 m9 000 m3 000 m

IREC 2025 · 9 000 M TARGET

DIAMETER: 134 mm
LENGTH: 3 650 mm
EMPTY MASS: 21.6 kg
WET MASS: 33.4 kg
PAYLOAD: 2 kg
MOTOR: Aerotech O5500X
LIFTOFF T/W: 20.8
MAX THRUST: 7 552 N
MAX SPEED: 626 m/s
TARGET APOGEE: 9 000 m

The test version flew at ASK 't Harde, NL, a month before EuRoC 2024.

04 – LAUNCH HISTORY

Two campaigns. One flight. One first place.

12 Oct 2024

Santa Margarida, Portugal

VES MARK I · CTI M1790

NOMINAL

European Rocketry Challenge

First flight of VES, at 14:19 local. Boost and coast were nominal. The drogue shock cord failed and the main did not fully open, so the rocket split into its two sections; each came down under its own chute and both were recovered. 2nd in the flight category.

APOGEE: 3 160 m
MAX SPEED: 259 m/s
BOOST ACCEL: 8.5 G
OVERALL RANK: 6 / 25

PHOTO · FROM ARCHIVE

01 · 12 OCT 2024

NOMINAL

European Rocketry Challenge

Santa Margarida, Portugal

Nominal boost and coast. The drogue cord failed, the rocket split in two and both halves came down under their own chutes. 6th of 25 teams.

APOGEE: 3 160 m
MAX SPEED: 259 m/s
BOOST: 8.5 G

13 Jul 2025

Midland, Texas

VES MARK II · Aerotech O5500X

DID NOT FLY

IREC 2025

The motor failed on ignition: its forward closure's epoxy gave way, a manufacturer defect, and threw the closure and a propellant grain into the rocket. The lower body tube was damaged. Avionics, recovery, chutes, nose cone and upper tube came back in excellent condition.

1ST PLACE · DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY · of 140+ universities

TARGET APOGEE: 9 000 m
MAX THRUST: 7 552 N
TECH REPORT: 16th
TEAMS: 140+

PHOTO · FROM ARCHIVE

02 · 13 JUL 2025

DID NOT FLY

IREC 2025

Midland, Texas, USAMidland, Texas

The motor failed on ignition, a manufacturer defect. Avionics, recovery and nose cone came back intact.

1ST PLACE · DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY

TARGET: 9 000 m
TECH REPORT: 16th
TEAMS: 140+

05 – GALLERY

From the workshop to the pad.

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