CURRENT TEAM

We are RISE, and our passion is to innovate in challenging problems in rocketry and space engineering. We are based at the University of Twente and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This collaboration welcomes students from Beta studies at the VU and engineering studies at the UT to work together on challenging, multidisciplinary projects.

Achieving circularity and sustainability pushes the space industry toward unique and innovative solutions that we would not have dared to dream of a decade ago. With the rising number of particles in orbit and the limited resources on Earth, solutions must be developed to sustain human space activities.

RISE focuses on two topics: sustainability in rocketry and active space debris removal. Project Alpha brings reusability and renewable fuel usage together in one project, where the first vertical landing of a biofuel-powered rocket will be demonstrated. The vertical landing, or powered descent, enables complete reusability of the rocket.

With Project Clean Space, the team aims to engage high school and undergraduate students in generating creative ideas through a yearly competition to tackle a growing problem: space debris. Removing floating objects in orbit and sustaining an efficient in-space servicing system will be essential for maintaining a safe environment for satellites, launch vehicles, and astronauts. With these projects, RISE hopes to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability in the space sector and to show STEM students the exciting challenges and possibilities that come with it.