Engineering blog

Notes from the workshop

Falcon-1's aluminium airframe and parts laid out on a lab bench beside their engineering drawings

Competition

Falcon-1 at TEKNOFEST 2026: building the rocket that took 2nd in A4 International

How a joint Saudi team designed, machined and wired a 2.45 m aluminium rocket for TEKNOFEST 2026, and what a summer of design reviews, supply-chain surprises and second place taught us.

1 Nov 2026

Line drawing of ASCENT-H1's fin can with the Contrail M2800-BG hybrid motor highlighted in orange inside the airframe

Propulsion

Why we chose a COTS hybrid for our first FAR-OUT

The 8 L first-entry limit, certified motors and a 7,000 ft contract: the reasoning behind our category choice.

1 Nov 2026

Line drawing of ASCENT-H1's fin can: one trapezoidal fin in orange from the side, and an end view of the three fins with the carbon tip-to-tip overlay

Aerostructures

Sizing ASCENT-H1's fins: stability, flutter and the tip-to-tip layup

Three trapezoidal fins, 4 mm G10 cores with a carbon tip-to-tip overlay, and the flutter check that comes next.

15 Oct 2026

ASCENT-1 as built, a printed white airframe, standing beside its CAD design, both 0.93 m tall

Aerostructures

Meet ASCENT-1, the 3D-printed rocket we learned on

The first rocket KFUPM ASCENT designed, built and flew: 0.93 m long, 60 mm across, printed in ASA and polycarbonate, and flown on sugar motors we make ourselves.

1 Dec 2025