ULAS HiPR

Race 2 Space 2026: Best Newcomer for Lúin of Celtchar

17/08/2026

Five successful hot fires and the Best Newcomer award: Lúin of Celtchar completed its Race 2 Space 2026 test campaign after nine months of development.

Our student propulsion team tested the 2 kN liquid bipropellant engine on 8 July at Airborne Engineering's facility in Westcott Venture Park. Lúin is Ireland's first additively manufactured liquid rocket engine.

Lúin of Celtchar firing during the Race 2 Space test campaign

The campaign recorded an average peak specific impulse of 212 s and 97% combustion efficiency, with testing reaching 150% of nominal chamber pressure. The team also received a Most Patriotic Team mention for bringing the Irish flag to the competition.

ULAS HiPR receiving the Best Newcomer awardThe team presenting Lúin of Celtchar at the Race 2 Space symposium

With a working engine, we are exploring how Lúin could support future propulsion testing through EirSEDS, alongside other Irish universities and rocketry teams. Developing test infrastructure in Ireland would give students, researchers and industry more opportunities to develop and test propulsion systems at home.

Thank you to Irish Manufacturing Research, FactoryXChange 2.0, OMC Engineered Solutions, the University of Limerick, and its Faculty of Science and Engineering for supporting Lúin's development.

Lúin firing on the instrumented test standRocket engine hot fires in adjacent test bays
Hot fires at Airborne Engineering's Westcott facilityLúin installed on the test stand with instrumentation connected
ULAS HiPR with Lúin and the Irish flag at the test facilityTeams gathered at Race 2 Space 2026

Read more about Lúin of Celtchar or see the original results post on LinkedIn.