Successful Sounding Rocket Track

On May 2, 2025, Spacecific conducted a field test of the Track Your Rocket (TYR) system during two sounding rocket launches by T-Minus Engineering. Both rockets carried a TYR payload to enable tracking of the rocket and data collection.

For this test, three mobile TYR ground stations were deployed to monitor the launches. The system remained fully operational throughout the campaign, including during a sudden rainstorm, demonstrating the reliability of the TYR stations. This allowed us to record flight data covering the entire trajectory of both rockets.

The primary goal of this test was to evaluate and qualify the operability of TYR and to demonstrate the core concept. All three stations successfully tracked the rockets until their impact sites! Equally important was the data gathered, which provided valuable insights into areas for improvement.

Moving forward, the next phase will focus on developing manufacturable, surface-mountable antennas for sounding rockets. These new antennas aim to improve the RF signal link and support launches involving metal rocket bodies.
The next test flight has already been planned so follow us for future updates.

About TYR and Spacecific

TYR is developed by Spacecific, a spin-off from the Radboud Radio Lab in Nijmegen. The system applies techniques from radio astronomy and modern communications to create a GNSS-independent RF tracking solution for sounding rockets. This enables precise, real-time tracking of rocket trajectories, even in remote or challenging locations.

This test flight was part of the MIT R&D Samenwerkingsprojecten, made possible with financial support from the province of Zuid-Holland and the StartupFonds Gelderland, and in collaboration with T-Minus Engineering.

Community

We could not have completed this mission succesfully without the help of the community in the Arnhem Nijmegen Region. Big thanks to Wattsun for providing us with two Wattsun Dock 2000 batteries. With these off-grid batteries we were able to setup a remote server, hosting the entire TYR system on-site! And thanks to MicroCosmos for transporting our stations to the launch location and the logistical assistance!