PROJECT HURRICANE
Project Hurricane is KURE's most ambitious initiative yet - aiming to design, manufacture, and launch our first bi-propellant (liquid-fuelled) rocket, with a goal of breaking the current UK amateur altitude record of 11.4km (37,500 ft). This will be the biggest rocker ever built by UK students and it is planned to launch in September from the Mojave desert in the United States.
The name Hurricane pays a tribute to the 90th anniversary of the first flight of the Hawker Hurricane, a pioneering fighter aircraft most famous for its instrumental role in the Battle of Britain. It was designed and built in Kingston Upon Thames, with one of the factories later belonging to Kingston University!
Kingston University Rocket Engineering (KURE) is a student-led society dedicated to hands-on rocketry projects and national competitions. Our journey began with Mach-X and Race 2 Space, two of the UK's most recognised student rocketry competitions.
Since then, we've continued to push boundaries of what collegiate teams can achieve, by tackling complex engineering challenges and demonstrating new technologies.
Past Projects:
🚀 Mach-23 (2022-2023): Our team designed a 4-inch rocket named Basilisk, which was successfully launched at Machrihanish, Scotland. The rocket reached an altitude of 3.6 km, the highest in the competition, while achieving a supersonic top speed of Mach 1.16!
🦜 Kingfisher (2023-2024): Aiming for a peak thrust of 6 kN, our team set out to construct one of the most powerful student rocket engines in the UK to date. The engine successfully tested and produced an astonishing 3 kN of thrust, over two test fires!
Hurricane Progress:
Project Hurricane brings together the knowledge and expertise gained throughout KURE's 6 years as a society, combining multiple subsystems into a single, fully integrated rocket:
🔥 Egret (2024-2025): a 6kN bi-propellant engine, set for test firing on June 26th, 2025 at the Race 2 Space competition in Westcott.
⚡️Cordyceps (2024-2025): a modular flight computer unit, our ambitious project of developing own flight computer to be used for data gathering and rocket controls.
⛽️ Airframe & Propellant Tanks (2024-2025): the core of the Hurricane project with an aim to design, build and test a rocket, with reliable tank-to-frame structure for housing electronics, recovery and engine systems.
In addition to breaking records and honouring our heritage, this project is an excellent opportunity to develop real engineering experience, challenging students to think critically and solve complex problems, and being part of a ground-breaking project that will be remembered for a lifetime!
How will you be helping?
Every donation makes a difference! The funds we raise will support key parts of our project; they will be distributed across the following categories:
⛽️ Propellant tanks material (£1600): For manufacturing two propellant tanks - one for testing and one for launch.
🪂 Recovery Parachutes (£600): Including main & drogue parachutes and connectors.
🗜️ Piping & Valves (£1000): Including mechanical and electronic components needed to deliver propellant at high pressures.
💻 Cordyceps Electronics (£1000): Including backup parts, assembly services and harnessing.
🚀 Custom Nose Cone (£700): Including nose tip, parachute bay tube and body tube.
🪚 Backups (£1100): Spare parts to ensure we're ready to fix anything on the go.
❗️Please Note: All pricing is rounded to approximate values, as they are not final. However, the listed figures represent estimated minimum funding required to complete Project Hurricane.
REWARDS
Our rewards are currently being developed by our talented graphics designer. Stay tuned - we'll be sharing regular updates on their design and progress throughout the fundraiser!
Bronze Tier Rewards (Minimum Donation £15):
You will receive a framed 6x4" photo of the rocket and the team, with KURE signature!
Silver Tier Rewards (Minimum Donation £30):
You will receive a custom mission patch representing Hawker Hurricane & our rocket, and a A3 poster!
Gold Tier Rewards (Minimum Donation £50):
You will receive a custom Hurricane T-shirt, A3 poster and a 6x4" photo pack!
Platinum Tier Rewards (Minimum Donation £100):
You will receive a goodies box including gold, silver and bronze tier rewards plus more!
‼️ PLEASE NOTE: International deliveries incur additional cost - even the cost of the entire donation. Therefore, we will kindly request the international donors to cover the cost of shipping. Thank you for understanding.
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HELP US SUCCEED!
The success of this project depends on your donations, and we are immensely appreciative of your help. If you can't donate or would like to contribute even more, please tell your friends, family, and coworkers about this fundraiser. Hurricane & KURE team, thank you!
More information
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