Star Uc3m

What Star Uc3m does

Star Uc3m (legal name STARUC3M, doing business as STAR – Student Team for Aerospace and Rocketry) is a non-profit student rocketry association based at Carlos III University of Madrid in Leganés, Spain. The organization comprises approximately 80 engineering students from Aerospace, Mechanical, Telecommunications, Industry, Electronics, and Energy disciplines, organized into eight departments: Aerostructure, Avionics, Marketing, Ground Station, Propulsion, Payloads, Mission Analysis, and Recovery. Its mission is to design, develop, and manufacture reusable rockets, with students gaining end-to-end hands-on aerospace experience through competition and certification launches.

The association's core technology stack spans the full rocketry value chain. Rocket vehicles developed include Rattlesnake (Level 1 certification), Astrea-C (COVID-era COTS redesign), Taranis (EuRoC 2022), Lince (EuRoC 2023, 3,631 m apogee), Pícaro (EuRoC 2024, supersonic at 385 m/s and 3,183 m apogee), and the Azor Demo-L1 certification rocket. Supporting subsystems developed in-house include the Eos and STR-23 flight computers with the proprietary STARBUS expansion interface, an FPGA-accelerated GNSS software-defined radio receiver, an SRAD CO2-based recovery ejector, and a dual-deployment parachute system. Software tooling covers the Stardust 6-DOF flight simulator (under development), SES (a MATLAB/Simulink interface toolbox), MotorSIM (solid-propellant internal ballistics simulator), and a ground control station with real-time telemetry visualization.

Star Uc3m is not a commercial enterprise and earns no revenue from product sales. Its operating funding comes from a tiered corporate sponsorship program (Hypersonic, Supersonic, and Transonic tiers with 30 sponsors across aerospace, electronics, CAD/CAE, and project-management vendors), a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign, and merchandise sales. Distribution of its outputs is exclusively event-driven: competition flights at the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) in Portugal and certification launches through TRIPOLI Spain at Fuentelahiguera de Albatages near Guadalajara. The organization operates as a community-led, talent-development platform for student engineers, with no equity ownership, no parent company, and no disclosed venture or private equity backing.

Name

Star Uc3m

Legal name

STARUC3M

Website

https://staruc3m.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Star Uc3m is a non-profit student rocketry association of ~80 engineering students at Carlos III University of Madrid that designs, builds, and launches reusable rockets for EuRoC competitions and Level 1 certification, funded by tiered corporate sponsorships, crowdfunding, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Aerospace / Rocketry Engineering

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF), Rocket Motors, Propellants & Warhead Integration (IMABAHAC)

Keywords

• Reusable rocket development
• Student rocketry association
• Competition rocket design
• Avionics systems engineering
• Aerospace engineering education

Headquarters

HQ city

Leganés

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Companies provide funding, equipment, and resources in exchange for brand visibility and association with a student engineering team. Sponsors are categorized into Hypersonic, Supersonic, and Transonic tiers based on contribution level.
2. Crowdfunding: GoFundMe campaign for mission support and achieving team objectives.
3. Merchandise Sales: Team merchandise including branded apparel and items distributed through the marketing department.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

STAR UC3M is a non-profit student rocketry association at Carlos III University of Madrid that designs, develops, and manufactures reusable rockets through in-house engineering across avionics, propulsion, recovery, and simulation. The association builds competition-grade vehicles (Rattlesnake, Astrea-C, Taranis, Lince, Pícaro, Azor), validates them at international competitions such as EuRoC, and supports member professional certification. Operations are funded by industry sponsorships, crowdfunding, and merchandise; rockets are not sold commercially.

Product overview

STAR UC3M is a rocketry association of approximately 80 students from Carlos III University of Madrid developing reusable rockets. The organization operates as a platform comprising multiple rocket vehicles (Rattlesnake, Astrea-C, Taranis, Lince, Pícaro, Azor) designed for competition, certification, and technology demonstration purposes, alongside supporting avionics products (Eos, STR-23 flight computers), ground systems (Ground Control Station), and internal software tools (Stardust simulator, SES simulation environment, MotorSIM ballistics simulator). The products span the full rocketry value chain from design simulation through launch operations to recovery, with members contributing from aerospace, mechanical, telecommunications, electronics, and energy engineering disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rattlesnake First vehicle and founding rocket project of the association. Low-cost single-stage rocket designed to separate into two parts at apogee for parachute deployment, achieving Level 1 certification and launched three times. Built by STAR UC3M student members to gain initial experience in rocket design and manufacturing.
• Astrea-C Second-generation rocket developed as Astrea and redesigned during the COVID-19 pandemic as Astrea-C using commercial elements. Single-stage vehicle with two avionics bays and payload space, composite materials, and custom PCB electronics. Built by STAR UC3M as a pandemic-era pivot from custom manufacturing.
• Taranis (EuRoC 2022) Competition rocket for EuRoC 2022 in Portugal. Single-stage solid-fuel COTS-motor rocket approximately 3 meters in length with fiberglass fuselage manufactured in-house, dual deployment recovery, and three custom payloads including a deployable CanSat. Target apogee of 9 km.
• Lince (EuRoC 2023) Competition rocket for EuRoC 2023 designed for 3 km apogee with a COTS solid fuel motor. Fiberglass and carbon fiber fuselage with RF-transparent sections. Successfully launched reaching 3,631 m apogee, with three in-house payloads including an aerobrake system prototype and an FPGA-based GNSS SDR receiver. First rocket to successfully deploy parachutes using only CO2 ejection.
• Pícaro (EuRoC 2024) High-performance rocket for EuRoC 2024 featuring composite fuselage, advanced avionics, air brakes, and cubesat-format payload with Return To Launch system. Designed for 3 km flight ceiling. Reached supersonic speed of 1,386 km/h (385 m/s) and achieved 3,183 m apogee. First team to launch for two consecutive years at EuRoC.
• Azor (Level 1 certification rocket) High-performance Level 1 certification rocket built using the IRIS LOC kit with phenolic cardboard fuselage (5.74 cm diameter, 110 cm length, 587 g empty weight). Powered by Cesaroni Pro29 H163 White Thunder motor. Predicted apogee of 769 m at Mach 0.57. Launched in collaboration with TRIPOLI Spain to enable member L1 certification and provide hands-on experience in rocket design, construction, and flight.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3183m apogee achieved at EuRoC 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EuRoC CompetitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Rocketry Challenge - international competition hosted in Portugal where STAR UC3M competes annually with their rocket designs, providing validation and visibility for the team's work.
• TRIPOLI SpaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational rocketry association collaborating with STAR UC3M for L1 certification launches at launch sites near Guadalajara, Spain.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Zero 2 Infinity: Spanish near-space launch startup developing the Bloostar high-altitude balloon-assisted micro-launcher. Comparable as a Spanish small-launch organisation pursuing reusable / high-altitude flight but at an early commercial stage.

Direct peers

• EPFL Rocket Team: Swiss (EPFL) student rocketry team that designs, builds and flies rockets for the Spaceport America Cup and EuRoC with custom avionics and composite structures. Comparable vehicle-class and engineering scope.
• AGH Space Systems: Polish university student team (AGH University of Science and Technology) that builds and launches sounding rockets, regularly competing at EuRoC. Directly comparable scale and competition profile.
• FLYVE - Rocketry Team of Universidade do Porto: Portuguese university rocketry team that also competes at EuRoC with custom solid-fuel rockets. Directly comparable to STAR UC3M in scope, vehicle class, target apogees and competition circuit.
• BME Suborbitals: Budapest University of Technology student team developing sounding rockets targeting the 30 km apogee class, with strong in-house avionics and recovery systems. Comparable to STAR UC3M in being a multidisciplinary student-run rocketry association.
• TU Delft DARE: Délft Aerospace Rocket Engineering is one of Europe's largest student rocketry teams, building hybrid and solid rockets and competing at EuRoC and Spaceport America Cup. Comparable end-to-end avionics, propulsion and recovery work.
• KSF Space: International non-profit student/early-career rocketry organisation running high-power rocketry and CanSat projects. Comparable in mission, audience and educational focus.

Broad incumbents

• GMV: Large Spanish space and defence engineering firm and STAR UC3M Hypersonic sponsor, providing guidance, navigation and control expertise across European launch and satellite programmes. Comparable in space-systems engineering but at vastly greater commercial scale.
• SENER Aeroespacial: Spanish aerospace engineering company (and STAR UC3M Hypersonic sponsor) that supplies mechanisms, GNC and avionics for Ariane, Vega and European launchers. Comparable in propulsion/avionics adjacency but at industrial scale.
• PLD Space: Spanish commercial micro-launch startup developing the Miura 1 and Miura 5 reusable launch vehicles from Elche. Comparable as a Spanish aerospace organisation building reusable rockets, but operating as a commercial prime rather than a student team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/star_uc3m
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@staruc3m
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/star-uc3m
• Instagraminstagram.com/staruc3m
• TikToktiktok.com/@staruc3m
• Pinterestpinterest.com/staruc3m

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Star Uc3m