Who are we?
We are the rocket engineering student team of Politecnico di Torino, entirely dedicated to the research, design, and construction of rocket engines and experimental rockets with scientific payload capability. We are a group of more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral engineering students with great plans for the future.
PRT at the European Rocketry Challenge!
PoliTo Rocket Team was the first team from Politecnico di Torino to compete at the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) in October 2023, launching the Cavour rocket and winning the ANACOM award!
We competed again in 2024 with Project VES, our biggest rocket. The Vittorio Emanuele II Rocket (VES) was launched on October 12 at 14:19 (UTC+1). The flight was nominal, reaching an apogee of approximately 3160m. The drogue parachute deployed at apogee, reducing the rocket’s descent velocity to about 30m/s. The main parachute separation was successful; however the upper and lower rocket sections, each equipped with their own parachute, were separated during the descent. Both sections were located and recovered, and VES is now back in Turin ready to be reused.
With VES, the Team was at its 2nd EuRoC participation and ranked 4th out of 20 for vehicle quality, and 6th out of 20 participating teams and out of 55 total teams in the general ranking. PRT received a larger score than some of Europe’s most experienced teams, and improved on the 2023 performance. It was also the highest score ever from a team from Politecnico di Torino.
New Mexico: mission accomplished
PoliTo Rocket Team was the first Italian rocketry team to have participated at the Spaceport America Cup!
The Team's first rocket, Cavour, was launched on Thursday June 22nd from the launchpad B2 from the Vertical Launch Area of Spaceport America, at 9:20 local time. The launch was a success! The flight was nominal and the rocket was recovered in good conditions and it can be reused
The Spaceport America Cup (SA Cup) is a competition for student rocketry teams from all over the world. With over 150 teams from colleges and universities in 24 countries from 6 continents, the SA Cup is the world's largest intercollegiate rocket engineering competition. At SA Cup, students launch solid, liquid, and hybrid rockets to target altitudes of 10,000 and 30,000 feet (3,000 and 9,100 m).
PoliTo Rocket Team competed with the Cavour rocket in the 10 ft apogee AGL COTS category with a target apogee of around 3km.The Team ranked 13th in its category and 20th overall with 119 teams participating and over 150 total teams. PRT also won the prestigious Dr. Gil Moore Technical Award for Innovation, one of the few technical awards, for its extensive use of 3D-printed internal components!
Our timeline
The beginning
Inspired by American and European rocketry teams, a group of friends started designing an experimental sounding rocket.
Team approval and start of Project Cavour
On June 7th 2022, Politecnico di Torino officially approved the Team, which started working on Project Cavour.
Start of Project Efesto
After the first general recruitment, Project Efesto was started to research and develop a Liquid Rocket Engine for the Team's rockets.
2023 Spaceport America Cup and second Cavour launch
With Project Cavour, we represented Politecnico and Italy as the first Italian team at the Spaceport America Cup, the largest intercollegiate rocketry competition on the planet. Cavour launch was a success!
2023 European Rocketry Challenge
We have been the first team from Politecnico to compete with Project Cavour at the 2023 EuRoC, Europe’s major rocket engineering competition, winning the ANACOM award.
2024 European Rocketry Challenge
At our second participation we launched VES , our biggest rocket, improving our past year performance, ranking 4th in Europe for for vehicle design and 6th overall.
International Astronautical Congress 2024
At the world’s largest IAC, held in Milan, PRT showcased its projects and students presented multiple technical papers. PRT won the Geography, Generation and Gender+ award at the Student Challenge.
International Rocket Engineering Competition 2025
With an evolution of Project VES , we aim to represent Italy and Politecnico di Torino once again at the world's largest rocketry competition, IREC, and aim for the Italian altitude record!
Get in touch
We are eager to get in touch with you! Whether you want to join us, become our partner, or simply know something more about us, feel free to write us an email: info@politorocketteam.it
We are also on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter: just one direct message away.