WEALTH March 5, 2026 0 Comments

How UL’s Rocketry Mavericks Are Shaping Ireland’s Future with the Country’s First 3D Printed Liquid Rocket Engine—And Why Investors Should Pay Attention Now

Ever wonder what happens when a bunch of sharp, driven students decide to shoot for the stars—literally? Well, buckle up, because ULAS HiPR, the University of Limerick’s own rocketry dream team, isn’t just aiming high; they’re rewriting the playbook by designing and building the very first additive manufactured liquid rocket engine in the Republic of Ireland. Yep, this isn’t your typical college project; it’s a full-throttle fusion of high-powered ambition and cutting-edge 3D-printing tech, crafted in partnership with Irish Manufacturing Research. Imagine the kind of innovation that lets you create complex cooling channels and iterate designs at lightning speed—things that were nearly impossible before. With over a hundred passionate students from all corners of engineering banding together, ULAS HiPR is not only making waves internationally but also blasting Ireland onto the global space propulsion stage via the Race2Space 2026 competition. It’s a vivid reminder that world-class rocket science isn’t just reserved for big aerospace giants; with guts, grit, and the right grind, Irish students are proving it can all happen here at home. Ready to see how this stellar collaboration is shaping the future of aerospace innovation? LEARN MORE

ULAS HiPR, the University of Limerick’s (UL) student-led high-powered rocketry team, will design and produce the first additive manufactured liquid rocket engine in the Republic of Ireland

In partnership with UL and Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), ULAS HiPR will make the engine, which has been named Lúin of Celtchar, using 3D printing technology.

Founded in 2022, ULAS HiPR brings together University of Limerick students from across disciplines such as aeronautical, mechanical, software, and design engineering with a shared goal of designing, manufacturing, and launching high-powered rockets.

The 2025/2026 team, which has grown rapidly and now attracts over 100 motivated students, has already had success internationally representing Ireland in prestigious competitions including Mach-24 and EuRoC (European Rocketry Challenge).

ULAS HiPR’s previous rockets – Morrígu, Airmedh and Macha – have already demonstrated strong performance and innovation in their design, payload integration, and flight execution.

The team will also take part in the prestigious UK-based Race2Space 2026 International Propulsion Competition, which represents a major milestone in advancing Irish student-led space propulsion capabilities.

The engine, a high-performance 2 kN, water-cooled, IPA/Nitrous Oxide bi-propellant system, has been designed entirely by the ULAS HiPR student team.

It is now being manufactured at IMR’s Advanced Manufacturing Lab in Mullingar using metal additive manufacturing, before returning to the University of Limerick for precision machining and assembly.

The manufacturing approach will enable the engine to incorporate complex internal cooling channels, rapid design iteration, and enhanced efficiency that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing techniques.

With its Race2Space entry, ULAS HiPR is proving that cutting-edge propulsion development can be achieved domestically through strong collaboration between academia and industry partners.

“The acceptance of our project to Race2Space marks a defining moment not only for ULAS HiPR, but for Ireland’s student space community,” said Jay Looney, co-head of ULAS HiPR.

“The selection of the first additively manufactured liquid rocket engine in the Republic of Ireland into the competition validates the technical ambition of our student team, and the strength of collaboration between Irish university students with industry.

“It demonstrates that world-class propulsion innovation can now be designed, manufactured, and tested entirely here in Ireland.”

Mark Hartnett, design for manufacturing senior technologist at IMR, said, “At IMR, supporting ambitious student teams like ULAS HiPR reflects our commitment to strengthening Ireland’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem and enabling the next generation of aerospace innovators.

“These are vital platforms for advancing cutting-edge technologies and building Ireland’s future engineering capability, and this ULAS HiPR propulsion project demonstrates how emerging technologies can move rapidly from concept to high-performance hardware.”

Photo: Members of the 2025/2026 ULAS HiPR and Irish Manufacturing Research Teams with scaled models of the Lúin of Celtchar Rocket Engine. (Pic: ULAS HiPR/Irish Manufacturing Research.)